Lancaster City Council votes to let mayor exceed tax cap

Lancaster City Council approves request allowing mayor to propose budget above 6% tax revenue cap Advertisement Updated: 7:05 PM EST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Nicole Beltran Reporter Lancaster City Council approves request allowing mayor to propose budget above 6% tax revenue cap Updated: 7:05 PM EST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Nicole Beltran Reporter LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster City leaders are working to finalize the 2027 budget, and that includes discussions about how to maintain city services. City Council voted 6-1 to approve a request on Tuesday allowing Mayor Jaime Arroyo to propose a budget that exceeds the city’s current 6% tax revenue growth limit. Advertisement The vote does not automatically mean taxes will increase. Instead, it gives city leaders more flexibility as they work to balance the budget and address rising costs. "No budget has been passed and no tax increase has been approved yet," Lancaster City Council Finance Committee Chair John Hursh said. Under the current rule, the city is generally limited in how much it can grow its tax revenue each year. Arroyo said the city is looking at different ways to continue investing in services while maintaining its long-term financial health. "Things are continuously being unaffordable for our residents," he said." But if there's one thing that I've learned growing up in Lancaster City is that when government doesn't invest in our community, that pushes out people even more so to maintain our services such as parks, public safety, streets, make sure our potholes are filled, our residents expect the best." The mayor said the city is not proposing a property tax increase as part of the current discussions, but leaders are considering what a slight increase in the earned income tax could look like. “When we look at communities around us and when we look at other government entities, whenever they don’t invest, and they don’t raise taxes to invest in those services, a lot of times those communities don’t do well in the long term,” Arroyo said. The mayor said investing in city services now could benefit residents in the long run. Councilman Hursh emphasized he would like to see a budget that does not include a property tax increase. "I really want to be clear about this. Council has since stated we will not support a property tax increase," he said. City leaders are scheduled to discuss the 2027 budget again Tuesday, November 17. Arrest made in Lancaster shots-fired incident Remains of Lancaster County veteran returned more than 80 years after his death Pennsylvania DOH confirms 7th measles-associated death in the state Make WGAL a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks How long is the nationwide ground stop going to last? Flights halted at airports across US due to air traffic control communications problems QUIZ: This week in national news New Orleans cruise ship collision: All accounted for, 32 hospitalized