Heath Springs to See County Tax Increase, EMS Staffing Changes

Lancaster County’s adopted 2026-27 budget will affect Heath Springs through a higher county property-tax rate, expanded emergency medical staffing and continued planning to replace the town’s aging EMS Station 7.

County Council adopted the approximately $201.8 million budget on June 22, 2026. The fiscal year began July 1.

County tax increase is separate from town and school taxes

The budget increases Lancaster County’s property-tax millage by one mill. The county says that adds about $8 per year to the county portion of the tax bill for an owner-occupied home valued at $200,000. A $400,000 owner-occupied home would see an estimated $16 annual increase in the county portion.

That increase does not represent the full property-tax change for Heath Springs households. Lancaster County sets only its own millage. Heath Springs municipal taxes and Lancaster County school-district taxes are set through separate governing and budget processes.

Residents reviewing their tax bills will therefore need to distinguish among the county, town and school-district portions rather than treating the one-mill county increase as the total change.

EMS budget adds 15 positions

The adopted budget includes 37 new county positions, including 15 positions for Lancaster County Emergency Medical Services. The positions include paramedic and emergency medical technician roles.

The budget also calls for certain EMS employees to move from a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off schedule to a 24-hours-on, 72-hours-off schedule beginning Jan. 1, 2027. These staffing and scheduling changes are future budget provisions; the county has not said they guarantee faster response times.

For Heath Springs residents, the practical question will be how the added positions and revised schedules affect staffing coverage from the county EMS system serving the area. Implementation details should become clearer as the county moves toward the January start date.

EMS Station 7 remains in the capital plan

The county’s capital-improvement plan continues planning for replacement of EMS Station 7 in Heath Springs. The project is expected to begin during fiscal year 2026-27 and is tied to capital-project sales-tax funding.

County records identify EMS Station 7 at 309 Hart Street in Heath Springs. The capital-plan entry means the replacement remains a planned capital project, not that construction is complete or necessarily underway.

Residents should watch for formal project milestones, including additional design or procurement documents, construction notices and future county budget updates. The tax increase, EMS staffing changes and station replacement are expected to unfold over the fiscal year rather than all at once.

Sources

• Lancaster County FY27 Budget Notice
• Lancaster County Capital Improvement Plan
• YoCo News Report on Lancaster County Budget Adoption