Lancaster County crisis center director flags vehicle replacement, budget pressures

The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners heard a budget briefing June 25 from Scott Etherton, director of the County Crisis Center, who said the department is operating within its current fiscal year budget but is asking the Board to include $30,000 in the 2027 budget to replace a chronically unreliable department vehicle.

Etherton told commissioners that efforts to find a suitable replacement through federal surplus programs had produced few options and that "funding of $30,000 for a replacement vehicle has been included in the 2027 budget." Board members expressed support for purchasing a replacement rather than continuing to wait for surplus inventory.

Etherton reviewed broader revenue and expenditure pressures: he said no additional funding is anticipated from Region 5, Medicaid and insurance reimbursements are difficult to predict because of changing eligibility and recoupments, and admissions have been slightly lower when the facility operates at capacity. He reported projected expenses of just under $5.1 million, an increase of about 3.3 percent from the prior year, with salaries and benefits as the largest cost drivers.

Dennis Meyer, Budget and Fiscal Officer, reminded the Board that the County transfers roughly $1 million annually to support Crisis Center operations. Etherton said the department recently filled its only vacant mental health clinician position and is relying less on overtime by hiring additional on-call staff, while also noting the extensive use of one-on-one supervision for higher-acuity patients.

The Board reserved further budget decisions for upcoming hearings and directed staff to continue coordination with Purchasing and the County budget office on timing and procurement options for a replacement vehicle. The County did not adopt a final procurement action at the meeting.