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Lancaster County commissioners approve petition to move area from Bennett to Southeast Rural Fire District
Summary
After a public hearing, the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution petitioning the Southeast Rural Fire District to annex a portion of the Bennett Rural Fire District, citing petition signatures and faster response times; the change is expected to take effect at the end of the tax year pending statutory timing.
The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners voted March 3 to approve a resolution petitioning the Southeast Rural Fire District to annex a portion of the Bennett Rural Fire District after considering a closed public hearing and written correspondence.
Chair Krista Yocom said the board received emails after the hearing that were forwarded to the county attorney and "could not be considered in this decision once the hearing was closed," underscoring that the board acted on evidence presented during the public hearing.
A commissioner who moved the resolution argued the petition itself and the number of resident signatures were a strong indicator of local preference. "Foundationally, we have the citizens petitions. That in and of itself is a strong argument that they want to change," the commissioner said, noting Southeast’s stations give it faster response times to the affected neighborhood.
Board members discussed implementation timing and statutory deadlines. One commissioner said an end-of-tax-year effective date "makes sense" to give both fire districts time to prepare; the chair said she would check statutory deadlines and confirm the effective date. The board then called the roll and the motion carried.
The action formalizes a change requested by local residents who petitioned to move their service area to Southeast Rural Fire District; commissioners framed the vote as responsive to petitioners’ concerns about distance and response time rather than a critique of Bennett Rural Fire District’s service.
The board did not accept additional written comments submitted after the hearing for consideration in this vote. The chair said those communications were forwarded to county counsel for the record.
The resolution will be processed consistent with statutory timelines. The board described an expectation that the change would be effective at the end of the tax year, subject to confirmation with legal counsel.
The board moved on to other agenda items after announcing the motion carried.
