Lancaster County Commissioners said Monday that for the county to prosper in the 21st century more community, private and fiscal partnerships must be established.

County commissioners Dennis Stuckey, Scott Martin and Craig Lehman and Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray spoke at the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce & Industry's fourth annual State of the County luncheon at Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center.

Stuckey said commissioners are putting together a 2009 budget.

"It's brutal and ugly," Stuckey said. "The cost of health care is going up, and we're trying to protect our employees from layoffs."

Still, Stuckey said the board does not intend to raise property taxes.

However, Stuckey said that the county's debt of $231 million makes him uncomfortable.

"That's a concern to me," Stuckey said. "It costs $20 million a year in interest and principal payments. I think that's a lot of money."

 Martin agreed with Stuckey.

"This is a tough economy … but we're going to avoid putting more taxes onto your plate," Martin said.

While the county has substantial debt, Stuckey said, projects such as building a new forensics center and a new prison must move forward.

"Our job is to manage projects that we've inherited. … We need to get the job done," Stuckey said.

Martin told the audience that the county's growth and prosperity depend on future partnerships.

"The No. 1 way is building cooperation," Martin said.

Martin said that means forging relationships with politicians in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

"Decisions about services and funding are intertwined," Martin said. "It comes down on a local level."

Equally important, Martin said, is conquering county problems such as homelessness and reducing the recidivism rate.

Martin said the board has partnered with the United Way of Lancaster County to develop a 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness.

Martin also said that crime costs county taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. To reduce crime, he said, there must be more programs that provide support for people who have recently been released from prison.

"There needs to be a secondary form of prevention when they come out to stop them from coming right back into the system just a couple of weeks after being released," Martin said.

Martin said to accomplish some of these goals the county also must look at forging fiscal partnerships and cutting costs.

"You have to learn to live within your means," Martin said. "You have to prioritize."

Lehman said the county must keep an eye on what businesses are coming into the county.

"We need to look at what these projects are and whether they are tax-base generators," Lehman said.

Gray said attracting people to Lancaster is paramount to the infrastructure of the city.

"People must want to work, live and play here," Gray said. "If they want to come here they will bring their businesses."

To achieve all this, Lehman said the county must move beyond ideology.

"We have to change the mind-set to the way we handle problems," Lehman said. "Far too much we put a Band-Aid on (problems), pat ourselves on the back and move on."

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com