After six work sessions, Lancaster County held a public hearing on its proposed $51.4 million FY 27 budget.

The proposal includes more than $4.5 million in additional expenditures, an increase of nearly 10%. Some cost drivers include a 3% raise for all full time county staff, a 7% increase in health insurance premiums that the county will fully absorb, and a new hazardous duty supplement for EMS personnel totaling $232,000 for the current 15 providers.

Lancaster Public Schools’ budget totals more than $21.9 million, with over $14.9 million coming from the county—an increase of more than $756,000 in local funding. Overall, the school system’s budget rose by more than $1.7 million with combined state and local contributions.

The FY 27 budget is built on a 5 cent real estate tax increase, bringing the rate to 60 cents per $100 of assessed value. The personal property tax rate remains $2.04.

One resident questioned whether the county can continue increasing school funding each year simply because the superintendent requests it, saying the county “gives it but gets back what we get back.”

He cited what he claimed was a 30% fail rate. “Nobody is ever held accountable for the product that we get and the taxpayers have to fund. Never saw anybody bring that up, but I am.” He argued that each year the school system asks for more money to fund raises, and “they get it, but the citizens get nothing in return.”

He also told the board he is not the only one who notices. “People pay a lot of attention and talk about it around the county.”

Supervisor William Smith questioned the accuracy of the cited fail rate and said he would follow up with the superintendent. Smith noted that his own children attended Lancaster Public Schools. “All three of them went to college, and one’s in graduate school now. So I think it’s very successful,” he said.

Supervisor Craig Giese said he and his sister also attended public schools before going on to college, and that their children “all went to the public school system here and all got a quality education after this system.”

“But it takes work from everybody,” Giese said. “It takes work from parents. It takes work from the county. It takes work from the teachers. So I know it can be done. I hear your concerns— many of them are very valid—but I do know that this system can work.”

Resident Charlie Costello dismissed concerns about the tax increase.

“We are moving in the right direction. I’ve been here 36 years, and they’ve been the best 36 years of living in one place,” he said. “How much is this going to cost me? The five cents on mine comes to about $255 and change a year. That’s about a dollar a week, actually less. We pay money for other things that aren’t as important. I just spent a thousand bucks on my three old cars. Had to do it. You’ve got to do it. We’re paying more for everything. So who’s going to pay for it? Us. We live here, and we’re proud to do it.”

The Board plans to adopt the FY 27 budget at its meeting on May 28.