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2026-2028
Lancaster County Strategic Plan

The Lancaster County Strategic Plan consists of the County’s mission, vision, guiding principles, strategic priorities and goals, and outcome measures for those priorities and goals. This Plan guides the County Board’s policies and budget decisions in a concentrated effort to make our County an even better place to live, work, and play through an even more effective, more efficient, more focused County government.

We are tracking progress for each strategic priority and goal for the lifespan of the Plan and reporting on that progress biannually.

We invite you to learn more about the Strategic Plan and the progress we have made.

View the 2026-2028 Strategic Plan Report

Strategic Priorities

Climate-Smart and Resilient Infrastructure

Public Safety

Community Health

Economic Prosperity

Governmental Stewardship

Climate-Smart and Resilient Infrastructure

Improve County transportation infrastructure and operational efficiency so that residents experience safer, more reliable travel; and modernize essential facilities to meet current and future service demands.
Plan for resiliency with public building improvements to ensure the County can meet the needs of the community, mitigate expensive repairs, and decrease energy consumption and emissions.
Support efforts to increase energy production, development, and storage to help ensure residents and businesses have reliable access to power. (This objective also supports Strategic Priority 4: Economic Prosperity).

Decrease the number of unpaved roads that have an average daily traffic volume of over 400 cars per day (priority based on impact to residents) by the end of 2028.
Prioritize district shops and buildings in need of replacement or renovations and begin updates.
Identify and list needed improvements for 148th Street and track progress toward the completion of defined milestones, including completing a Regional Traffic Study by the end of 2026.
Identify building and operational strategies to decrease energy consumption in alignment with the recommendations from the Energy Management Plan.
Create a building emissions dashboard by the end of 2026.
Explore increasing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, including a cost-benefit assessment to determine need, to provide employees and visitors with reliable locations to charge their vehicles and incentivize greener alternatives to fossil fuels.
Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Lower Platte South (LPS) Natural Resource District (NRD) and City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) to receive all pertinent information and and collaborate at the operational level on enhancing water quality and ensuring flood control in the County.
Use updated data and floodplain mapping to identify needed improvements to reduce flood risks to the County.

Provide a range of public safety services and enhance access to human services to foster well-being throughout Lancaster County.

Public Safety

Optimize jail and justice system capacity to ensure safe, secure detention that meets legal and operational standards while reducing recidivism, supporting public safety, and decreasing the average number of detainees housed outside the County.
Address juvenile facility capacity to improve the safety of the public, youth, and staff.
Advance the County’s law enforcement system through secure facilities, leading-edge technology, skilled personnel, and integrated crime prevention capabilities.

Increase mental health and infirmary capacity at the jail.
Support expanded access to problem-solving courts and programming.
Expand 24/7 sobriety program with Risk and Need Triage (RANT).
Implement the Public Safety Assessment (PSA).
Implement a court date reminder notification system by the end of 2027.
Create a detailed data dashboard to identify issues causing increased case duration.
Create and sign a lease agreement with the State for continued partnership on the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center - Lincoln (YRTC-L) and develop a plan to increase the number of living units for the County and the State.
Implement improved technology to monitor youth on diversion by the end of 2028.
Collaborate with the Public Building Commission and the Sheriff's Office to identify short-term and long-term solutions to enhance building security and improve the safety of visitors, officials, and staff by June 30, 2026.
Review and support the Sheriff's Office technology needs to ensure a modern and resilient law enforcement system.
Work with the Sheriff's Office to assess needs to increase evidence processing.

Community Health

Support social wellness by building welcoming and diverse communities that contribute to a sense of belonging and ensure all feel welcome and respected.
Strengthen youth and family supports to provide all residents with access to mental health resources, affordable childcare, and community programs that promote well-being.
Expand and diversify housing options to provide individuals and families with safe, accessible shelters and transitional housing that support stability and recovery.

Support Human Resources in the continuation of quarterly “Civic Connections” open houses to connect the public with County agencies and the services they offer.
Transition My City Academy to the Welcoming Coordinator and increase the number of academies per year from one academy to two academies.
Improve health and well-being of vulnerable populations through integrated clinical screenings and community programs addressing social determinants of health and suicide prevention.
Hire family navigators for SquareOne by February 2026 and complete construction of the SquareOne building by May 2026.
Increase the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Affordable Child Care Fund to $1 million annually.
Define a grant evaluation matrix to maximize the impact of grants from the JBC Affordable Child Care Fund.
Support the completion of a new shelter by summer 2027.
Facilitate recommendations as outlined in the Addressing the Needs of the Unsheltered Population of Downtown Lincoln report prepared by Housing Innovations, with at least one recommendation completed by July 2027.
Partner to provide funding to create additional transitional housing for children and their mothers.
Reevaluate barriers to entering transitional housing by the end of 2026.
Partner to provide additional beds at the residential psychiatric rehabilitation center

Economic Prosperity

Increase affordable housing within Lancaster County to help individuals find and acquire safe, reliable housing.
Streamline processes to support a more business-friendly environment and increase economic investment and activity.
Invest in tourism infrastructure and strategic partnerships to expand visitor experiences, strengthen the local economy, and generate revenue to reinvest in facilities, programs, and future growth.

Promote efforts to increase residential density in order to increase affordable housing stock in the County.
Continue to support Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD) in increasing affordable housing units outside the City of Lincoln.
Reduce the completion time of commercial plan reviews from an average of 25 working days to an average of 15 working days.
Maintain an annual 3.5 or higher average rating on the Planning and Development Services Department’s customer service survey.
Complete Comprehensive Plan Update by the end of 2026.
Explore industrial zoning in the County by the end of 2027.
Work with Visit Lincoln to attract applicants to the Visitors Promotion Committee and support planning of the next world-class event and enhancement of youth sports facilities in Lancaster County by restarting Visitors Improvement Fund grant opportunities.
Complete site acquisition; engage architect, project manager, and general contractor; complete design of facility; and begin vertical construction for the Downtown Convention Center.
Partner with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce to expand the Visit Lincoln Passport Program to include rural businesses.

Provide a range of public safety services and enhance access to human services to foster well-being throughout Lancaster County.

Governmental Stewardship

Identify knowledge gaps regarding County services to better inform residents, improve their awareness, and increase understanding of County-provided services.
Maintain fiscal responsibility so that tax burdens remain low and resources are optimized to support essential services and sustain long-term financial health.
Invest strategically in today’s servant leaders, equipping them to excel, enhance organizational performance, and build lasting public trust.
Strengthen talent pipelines through partnerships, centralized coordination, and outreach so the County can attract diverse, skilled candidates and build a workforce prepared for future needs.

Use reputation management software to determine gaps in public knowledge and perception of County services.
Rebrand the County’s logo to distinguish it from state agencies, including reimagining the County's flag.
Develop and install wayfinding signage to improve accessibility of the County’s downtown campus.
Develop annual “County Government Month” campaigns to highlight three to four County agencies and the constituent services they provide.
Keep total property tax collections below the “pink postcard” level.
Identify positions that have remained vacant to achieve cost savings and report on vacancies quarterly.
Continue to maintain the integrity of the County's annual financial audit by conducting independent annual third-party assessment of the County's financial position.
Establish a foundation to support Lancaster County's mission through donations and planned and charitable giving.
Establish mentorship programs focused on leadership development.
Ensure succession readiness by identifying critical roles and developing leaders for those roles.
Engage leaders in advanced leadership development programs on a consistent and regular basis.
Work with universities and colleges, including the University of Nebraska, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Union Adventist University, and Southeast Community College, to hire more than 15 interns per year.
Hold informational meetings before the summer season for agencies to share staffing needs and work with American Job Center to recruit interns.

ADDRESS

555 South 10th Street
Room 110
Lincoln, NE 68508

EMAIL

StrategicPlan@lancaster.ne.gov

PHONE

402-441-7447

FOLLOW

LANCASTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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