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What Happened in Lancaster County this Month? |
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Lancaster County Board of Commissioners Hold their Annual Evening Budget Meeting on Tuesday, December 3rd
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As 2024 starts to come to a close Lancaster County is looking ahead to the new year. On Tuesday, December 3rd, the Lancaster County Commissioners held their annual evening meeting on the budget for 2025.
The Commissioners first approved to place the budget on the table for discussion on Wednesday, November 20th. The draft 2025 Budget was then made available for public inspection. At the evening budget meeting, Lancaster County's Budget Services team reviewed the proposed budget and provided an opportunity for the Commissioners to provide comment on the budget and hear the thoughts of Lancaster County residents in attendance.
The Budget covers all county expenses and revenues from operational, staffing and program costs to any revenues gained by the county throughout the course of the year. The budget also accounts for local organizations that seek funding from the County each year such as the Lancaster Conservancy, Lancaster Farmland Trust and local libraries.
Following the presentation, public comment and the Commissioners providing comment, the Board of Commissioners approved the 2025 budget at the Wednesday, December 11th meeting.
Key highlights from the budget include no increase in taxes for the 12th year in a row. Lancaster County remains as having the lowest millage rate of any large county in Pennsylvania. The budget will also fund 1,910 County staffing positions, which sees a removal of 317 vacant and/or no longer necessary positions through improved efficiency. The County will also maintain a projected general fund balance of $63 million, which is over $18 million more than required by County policy.
View the 2025 Proposed Budget Presentation Here.
View the Proposed 2025 Budget Here.
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National Epilepsy Awareness Month
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Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Month
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Property Assessment Begins to Prepare for Reassessment; Encourages Residents to Do the Same
The 2027 Property Reassessment is right around the corner. A reassessment is the process to determine accurate and fair property values within a county. The purpose of a reassessment is not to raise taxes but to ensure a fairness of taxes. The County does not make or increase taxes as a result of reassessment but rather adjusts their rates to reamin revenue neutral. You can begin to prepare for reassessment by checking Lancaster County Property Assessment website and ensuring that data on your property is correct.
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Lancaster County MPO Seeking Public Input on Unified Planning Work Program
Interested in providing feedback on transportation projects and planning in Lancaster County over the next two years?
The Lancaster County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) opened a 30-day public comment period for the 2025-2027 Unified Planning Work Program on December 2nd and will remain open until December 31st.
The UPWP documents the projects and tasks the Lancaster County Planning Department (LCPD) and South Central Transit Authority (SCTA) will perform over a two-year period.
The draft of the program can be found on the Planning Department's webpage where residents can read the entire document and provide feedback.
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Lancaster County Parks & Recreation to Provide Christmas Tree Mulching
Lancaster County residents can participate in an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of their Christmas trees by dropping them at the Lancaster County Central Park mulching site between dawn and dusk December 26 through January 31.
The park mulching program is for Christmas trees only – no other yard waste will be accepted. Trees must be free of decorations, lights, plastic bags, and hardware, including nails in the trunk. There is a three-tree limit per vehicle. Commercial haulers are strongly advised to contact their local municipalities for their respective Christmas tree recycling locations.
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Lancaster County Prison Participates in National
Civility Week
This month, the Lancaster County Prison (LCP) observed, in conjunction with Prisons & organizations nationwide, in the civility campaign.
At staff lineup each day throughout the week, staff reviewed the prison's newly updated Anti-Bullying Policy and discussed the policies and procedures that have helped keep the Lancaster County prison a safe, collaborative and respectful workplace. The Prison also hosted various events for staff throughout the week to provide more interaction between staff members that they may not normally get during the work day.
LCP regularly examines policies, procedures and trainings to foster a safer environment for employees, inmates and the general public.
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 Lancaster County Property Assessment
The Lancaster County Property Assessment Office assesses real estate within the county for the local property tax levy. County government, 17 school districts, and most of the 60 municipalities in the county levy a property tax. While the property tax office provides an update to the assessment to the property, by law, all taxing bodies must adjust their current tax rate so they do not increase their income.
The Assessment Office maintains a listing and valuation inventory of over 190,000 parcels of land located within the border of the county for this purpose and holds office hours year round, even in non-assessment years, to aid you in answering your property value questions.
The office also serves the Board of Assessment Appeals, a board appointed by the County Commissioners who oversee hearing assessment appeals. Appeals from assessment can be taken by property owners and taxing bodies alike for the purpose of correcting over- or under-assessed properties.
To learn more about Property Assessment, visit their website!
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