by Elizabeth Cogar
Including requests from county departments and others seeking funding, the Lancaster board of supervisors on March 14 reviewed a $33,234,880 budget draft for fiscal year 2019-20.
As presented initially, the new plan reflects a $650,477 decrease from the current budget of $33,885,357.
Board members Jack Larson, Ernest Palin, Jason Bellows, Bill Lee and Bob Westbrook were present along with county administrator Don Gill, staff liaison Brian Barnes, board clerk Crystal Whay and three members of the public.
Bellows called the meeting to order at 6 p.m., and a discussion of goals and objectives for the budget process this year followed.
“It won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but I believe that we should identify those responsibilities that we have to all taxpayers of how we spend tax money,” said Westbrook, who listed public safety, medical emergencies and education as most important to him. “I think we should fund each of those three the very best we can.”
Westbrook put forth the idea that non-governmental (NGO) entities should not be given more than a certain percentage over what they received in fiscal year 2019. NGOs would be given…
