Lancaster County Council Launches FY2026 Budget Talks with Focus on Growth, Staffing Needs, and Strategic Fund Use

The Lancaster County Council held a budget workshop on April 9, 2025, to begin formal discussions on the FY2026 budget. The meeting featured detailed departmental presentations, strategic planning discussions, and early deliberations on funding priorities. The county administrator and CFO emphasized improved transparency, compliance, and operational efficiency in budget planning, with special focus on staffing needs, software and utility realignments, and the potential use of fund balance reserves for one-time capital or operating costs.

Key Themes and Highlights:

1. Budget Process Overview and Strategic Priorities

• Administrator Marstall introduced the FY2026 budget process and thanked department heads and finance staff for their preparation.

• A key objective is aligning budget requests with the county’s strategic plan while accounting for increased service demands from rapid growth.

• Special emphasis was placed on analyzing departmental pay raise requests, considering minimum wage adjustments, and evaluating use of fund balances for one-time costs.

• The first week of May is targeted for the administrator’s final budget recommendation.

2. Budget Structure Enhancements

• CFO Sabrina Harris outlined structural adjustments for improved transparency:

  • Consolidated software budget lines into three categories (department-specific, multi-department, and IT-only software).

  • Realigned utility, telephone, and copier budgets based on actual usage forecasts.

  • These changes aim to support clearer financial reporting and better audit compliance.

Departmental Budget Highlights:

Building Inspections (Darren Robinson)

• Experiencing a surge in permits, projecting over 1,000 new house permits in FY25.

• Revenue from permits could exceed $1 million.

• Requested salary increases and reclassifications for critical roles:

  • Development Services Coordinator

  • Chief Building Inspector

  • Deputy Building Official/Commercial Plans Examiner (vacant for 5 years)

• Council acknowledged the urgency of filling the deputy role and suggested further increasing the salary offer to attract qualified candidates.

• Requested $4,000 increase for training due to rising certification costs.

• Requested vehicle replacement for a high-mileage inspector car.

Planning and Zoning (Allison Harden)

• Minimal budget change aside from a CIP request for a consolidated “one-stop shop” facility for development services.

• Reported increased activity in inspections, rezonings, and subdivision reviews.

• Supported legal services funding for Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) to ensure proper legal representation; this request may shift to the legal department budget.

• Council expressed interest in repurposing the old detention center as a possible office space to support department consolidation.

Stormwater (Mr. Barr)

• Requested a new Environmental Manager position in anticipation of increased MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) responsibilities.

• Noted a 15% increase in inspections and significant infrastructure complaints.

• Special project requests included:

  • Black Horse Run repairs ($1.6 million) – a state road affecting county residents with regular flooding.

  • Henry Harris Road improvements – tied to development requirements and pending land acquisition.

• Council debated prioritization, with many members supporting immediate action on Black Horse Run using available $4 million in stormwater fund balance.

Treasurer’s Office (Carrie Helms)

• Reported a decrease in budget due to lower IT projections, despite processing over 175,000 records and collecting more than $147 million.

• No new positions or major changes requested.

• Praised for clear presentation and operational efficiency.

Register of Deeds (Brittany Grant)

• Reported increased filings and electronic record submissions.

• FY26 request includes only a $2,200 increase for projected cost changes in training and utilities.

• Revenues exceeded $1.6 million in deed stamps, 3% fees, and recording fees.

Finance (Sabrina Harris)

• Requested a new Grants Coordinator position to manage 48 active grants totaling over $45 million.

• Cited missed opportunities to recover administrative costs—up to $4.4 million—due to lack of dedicated personnel.

• Council supported the grant coordinator position, with some suggesting a future addition of a grant writer as well.

• Emphasized increased workload due to higher P-Card usage and financial oversight responsibilities.

Council Commentary and Priorities:

• Several members raised concerns about unfilled positions, staff workload, and competitiveness of salaries, especially in technical departments.

• Strong support was expressed for:

  • Addressing long-delayed infrastructure needs like Black Horse Run.

  • Adding grant management capacity.

  • Consolidating development services for operational efficiency.

• Some skepticism remained about expanding stormwater staffing before full countywide implementation.

• Council requested detailed fund balance breakdowns to better understand growth and future use.