Lancaster City Council Reviews Past Budget Goal Successes, Sets New Priorities for FY 2026-2027 and Kicks Off Public Budget Dialogue

The City of Lancaster Council held its fiscal year goals and planning session on March 17th, with a primary objective of reviewing the status of previous budget goals and establishing new “must do,” “should do,” and “could do” priorities for the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal year. Led by the Mayor and facilitated by a representative from the Municipal Association of South Carolina, the Council heard public comments regarding youth programming and funding needs before receiving a progress update on a variety of items, including the completion of an employee pay study and the construction status of the farmers market. After a round-robin discussion of new ideas, the Council prioritized several key objectives: implementing a long-term capital improvement budget with dedicated funding, advancing the development of a new fire station in the northern city section, formalizing a downtown “welcome wagon” and tourism program, improving juvenile intervention initiatives, developing a collaborative mental health co-responder model, and creating a comprehensive long-term operation plan for the Market Square.

Detailed Summary of Each Agenda Item

1. Call to Order, Invocation, and Pledge of Allegiance

The Mayor called the special session of the Lancaster City Council to order and delivered the invocation. The Council then recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Roll Call

A roll call of the Council members was taken, and a quorum was confirmed.

3. Public Comment: FY 2026-2027 Budget

This period was allocated for citizens to provide preliminary input on the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal year budget. A formal public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 13th. Four members of the public addressed the Council:

Medical Provider and Community Advocate: Requested Council support and funding for a clinical youth intervention program. The speaker emphasized past success in decreasing child behavioral issues and clinical medication needs and advocated for a clinically-based, rather than social, treatment model.
Big Box Boxing Program: Highlighted the benefits of their youth program and the financial challenges of operating without public backing. The speaker asked for city support to continue providing positive, character-building activities for children in the community.
Citizen Committee Representative: Appeared on behalf of two local youth programs, urging the Council to partner with grassroots organizations that have a proven track record of working with community children before public funds are even requested.
Concerned Community Member: Expressed concern about youth violence and called for city investment in recreational facilities for children, such as a recreation center or movie theater. The speaker requested that the Council utilize available funds for these purposes in the upcoming budget.

4. Fiscal Year 25-26 Budget Goal Status Update

The City Administrator provided an update on the progress of the goals set for the current 25-26 fiscal year:

Must Do Goal #1: Implement Archer Pay Study: This goal is complete. Council adopted a resolution to accept the study, and pay adjustments were reflected on employee paychecks in July 2025.
Must Do Goal #2: Construct Farmers Market Venue: Staff is continuing work with an architectural firm. They have completed a fit test on the old post office, and a preliminary design concept with cost estimates will be presented to Council on April 14th.
Must Do Goal #3: Improve Preston Blackman Park: Goodwin Mills and Cadwood have been hired and have completed a preliminary design for a grand application. The application has been submitted to the state for Land Conservation and Water Fund approval.
Should Do Goal #1: Develop Strategic Plan to Secure Funding for Critical Infrastructure: Staff met with the Council of Governments (COG) and an engineering firm to discuss potential funding sources and the development of this plan.
Should Do Goal #2A: Construct Northern Section Fire Station: Various property owners have been met with, and staff has secured the land. Staff met with engineers to develop a land feasibility study and with construction companies to evaluate a construction management-at-risk delivery method.
Should Do Goal #2B: Assist in Creating unified network to Address Homelessness: The City Clerk is engaged with the United Way and meeting with a mental health task force to develop strategies. The City has also secured a grant to construct a water line to the proposed homeless shelter site, which will support fire suppression requirements.
Should Do Goal #3: Createstreamlined Modern Land Use Framework: The City has hired Benchmark Planning. They have met with staff and the Planning Commission to begin revising the City’s zoning and subdivision regulations.
Could Do Goal #1: Replace Automatic Meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure: This project is in progress. 700 questionable meters are being analyzed, and replacement of all city meters is expected to begin in April and be completed by the end of summer.
Could Do Goal #2: Establish Fair Compensation for On-Call Employees: This goal is complete. Council adopted a resolution authorizing daily and weekly on-call compensation, which began appearing on employee paychecks in July 2025.
Could Do Goal #3A: Develop Contract with County for Transfer Station: City staff has met with the county to determine the cost per ton and is preparing to finalize this contract within the next few months.
Could Do Goals #3B and #3C: Gateway Improvement & Unified Street Banner and Signage Plan: This project is in progress. The City has hired two new employees to focus on entry point maintenance, and a Request for Proposal (RFP) is being prepared to find a landscape firm to assist with key gateway areas throughout the city, including downtown.
Could Do Goal #3D: Comprehensive Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Plan: Discussions have been initiated with Keck & Wood and McKim & Creed to evaluate the expansion process.
Could Do Goal #3A: Replace Bathrooms at Buckloo Park: This goal is in progress. Architects were hired to develop a proposal, and a grant application has been submitted to the Land Conservation and Water Fund. The state recently requested additional information, which staff views as a positive sign.

5. Council Goal Setting Discussion for Fiscal Year 26-27

Charlie Barono with the Municipal Association of South Carolina facilitated a goal-setting exercise to prioritize the Council’s objectives for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. After Council members presented their individual ideas, they voted on their top three goals. The points were weighted (top goal=3 points, second goal=2 points, third goal=1 point). The facilitation representative explained that staff would then formalize these prioritized items into a written resolution for Council consideration at a future meeting to officially kick off the budget development process.

6. Must Do Goals (Points)

The facilitated exercise resulted in the following “must do” goals:

Long-Term Capital Improvement Budget with Dedicated Funding (11): Includes developing a 5-10 year long-term capital improvement plan (CIP) and ensuring dedicated funding or borrowing capability is available for large capital items like a new fire department or market square, ensuring the city is matching-fund ready for grants or prepared to finance long-term use projects.
New Northern City Section Fire Station (4): Continues the priority of developing and constructing a new fire station to serve the northern part of the city.
Formalize and Budget Downtown “Welcome Wagon” Tourism Program (3): Aimed at supporting downtown vibrancy, beautification, and potentially unifying aesthetic elements like banners and signs in conjunction with the facade grant program, potentially including welcome bags for new residents and businesses to inform them of city services.
Improve Juvenile Intervention Initiatives (3): Focused on proactive engagement and establishing programs or mentoring initiatives to address youth needs in the community, potentially utilizing existing city-owned facilities and transportation.
Collaborative Mental Health Co-Responder Model (3): Directs the City to work with the Council of Governments, mental health task forces, and the county to address the complex needs of the homeless population, potentially establishing co-responder positions where social workers assist police on mental health and drug addiction calls.
Long-Term Operation Plan for Market Square (3): Focused on developing a sustainable, long-term operational and development plan for the Old Post Office and the surrounding area.

7. Should Do Goals (Points)

Following a second round of weighted voting, the facilitated exercise prioritized the “should do” goals:

Citywide Vehicle GPS System (5): Directs the city to implement GPS tracking for all city-owned vehicles, including police and public works, to track maintenance, fuel usage, and optimize operations.
Improved Public Lighting for Safety (5): Focused on addressing specific areas with a history of crime by implementing lighting upgrades to enhance safety and decrease criminal activity.
Address City Gateway Aesthetic Improvements (5): Focuses on ensuring that entry points to the City are welcoming and that city limit signs are accurately placed, specifically noting the need to move the Highway 521 sign and place a sign at University Drive to reflect recent annexation.
Collaborate on New County Landfill Contract for City Operations (5): A continuation of a previous could do goal, this is to ensure that a renewed agreement reflects equitable costs for city residents, addresses equipment wear and tear, and moves away from open-ended automatic renewals.

8. Could Do Goals (Points)

A third round of weighted voting resulted in the prioritization of “could do” goals:

Reclassify and Define Role of Public Works Admin as Safety Coordinator (5): Directs the city to formally change this administrative role to a focused safety position, with defined duties and responsibilities, which was one of the department-specific goals submitted to Council.
Initiate Historical Home Assessment and Protection Plan for Springs House (5): Directs the city to conduct a comprehensive structural and historical evaluation of the old Springs House property, confirming its historical status, identifying maintenance needs, and ensuring its protection.
Establish Collaborative County Economic Development Committee/Marketing Initiative (5): Focuses on partnering with the county to attract new businesses to the City, specifically targeting industries like data centers, and proactively creating zoning codes and utility usage policies to manage the potential impact of such facilities on municipal services.

9. Additional Staff & Department Goals Shared (Non-Prioritized Items)

The facilitated exercise included a round-robin discussion where all proposed ideas were captured for staff consideration during the upcoming budget process. This list of objectives will be tracked by the City Administrator as a comprehensive list of council priorities:

Develop comprehensive data center utility usage and zoning code (for large users like water and electric).
Create small business incubator program and site (for example, in collaboration with USCL or the Chamber of Commerce).
Conduct a full security assessment of city court and police department parking areas and implement new safety fencing.
Initiate a public property sales and inventory program for un-utilized city-owned land.
Initiate a proactive code enforcement and housing initiative, including focused efforts in the downtown historical district and an updated ordinance to address historical structure aesthetics and safety.
Address staff needs/Longevity pay (Implement longevity pay and other staff retention and development incentives, and potentially pay increases for certifications useful to city operations).
Implement a new citywide cost of living adjustment (COLA) policy in the budget.
Establish quarterly meeting requirement for all standing committees.
Address community mental health collaboratively.
Review/Revise weather emergency policy (including addressing safety of essential workers).
Explore public transportation options for low-moderate income families (LMI workforce housing).
Conduct long-term operational assessment of all departments (staffing, space needs, and equipment, specifically noting needs in police and court departments).
Implement standard fire hydrant replacement and preventative maintenance plan citywide.
Develop vision for park/reservoir development.
Host a community “welcome to Lancaster” service-based table event (potentially a collaborative touch-a-truck open house to introduce citizens and new businesses to city departments and available resources).

10. Adjournment

The Mayor thanked Council members and city staff for their time and effort during the goals session. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded, and approved unanimously by a roll call vote.