Lancaster County Council adopts FY27 budget with smaller millage increase, adds staff and one‑time spending

Lancaster County Council voted 6–1 on June 8 to adopt the fiscal year 2027 operating budget after approving a series of line‑item reductions and a lower millage increase.

The budget includes 37 new positions in the general fund, a 4% across‑the‑board raise for nonsworn staff and a 5% raise for sworn public‑safety employees, and a one‑time appropriation of $36.4 million from reserve funds for nonrecurring expenditures. Jamie Pvuzznack, Lancaster County budget director, told the council the plan also reforms emergency medical services schedules and funds additional public‑safety staffing and detention‑center positions.

"This budget includes a change to how emergency medical services are delivered in this county," Pvuzznack said, describing a model shift that affects some EMS staffing schedules. He also said the county’s total millage would be 94.1 mills, with the county operating millage set at 82.7 under the adopted ordinance.

Council members sparred over numerous line items during a detailed review of departmental budgets. Councilman Stuart Graham offered a consolidated amendment that removed a proposed $17 minimum‑wage amendment, cut a salary‑study line item, lowered several contractual and consulting requests (including for HR contract services, traffic‑impact analysis, and portions of planning/UDO expenses), and reduced a solid‑waste maintenance request; the amendment also added roughly $81,375 for county fire vehicle maintenance. Graham then proposed reducing the additional millage increase the draft had planned from 1.5 mills to 1.0 mill.

"We can make some of these adjustments now and still fund needed public‑safety and capital items," Graham said while offering the package of reductions and reallocations.

The consolidated amendment passed unanimously. After final adjustments, council approved the budget as amended by a 6–1 vote.

Votes at a glance: the council also approved several ordinance readings and resolutions earlier in the meeting, including a FEMA hazard mitigation grant (Resolution 1328‑R2026) to buy a backup generator for the Emergency Management warehouse ($107,131 grant, $35,710 local match), and multiple first readings to grant utility easements tied to the new coroner’s office site. The council adopted the capital improvement plan (CIP) for FY27 — a separate ordinance — by a 5–2 vote.

The coroner informed council of plans to recruit an in‑house medical examiner and council later authorized county staff to proceed with negotiations. Coroner staff and county administrators discussed moving some contractual autopsy costs into salary lines once a hire is made; council members requested final cost estimates before any salary changes were finalized.

What happens next: County staff will implement the FY27 budget as amended, move forward on negotiated terms for the coroner position and proceed with the capital projects in the CIP. Council members indicated they expect to monitor line items and return later in the fiscal year if adjustments are needed.