Lawrence, Douglas County move toward new fire, EMS funding formula

Like two roommates dividing a household bill, Lawrence and Douglas County can make a 60-40 split work for a while. The problem comes when the bills change, the equipment gets older, and the number of people using the service grows. That is why leaders are now moving toward a new funding formula for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.

The city and county have been using a roughly 60-40 split as a stopgap for 2026 while they work on a more durable arrangement. The department says a clearer formula would be more stable as staffing grows and changes, giving both governments a better way to plan for the years ahead instead of renegotiating the same fight every budget season.

The stakes are plain in Douglas County because fire and EMS are one of the biggest shared services the City of Lawrence and Douglas County manage together. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical was created in 1996, when the Douglas County Ambulance Service and the Lawrence Fire Department were merged. Nearly 30 years later, the partnership still exists, but the budget pressure around it has become more intense as service demands and costs evolve.

That pressure showed up during the city’s 2026 budget process, when Lawrence was dealing with a reported $6.6 million shortfall and its first budget proposal included staffing reductions at LDCFM. Douglas County commissioners pushed back in April 2025, warning that the cuts would add financial strain on the county and could affect service levels. In July 2025, county leaders went a step farther, discussing roughly $183,000 in additional funding for LDCFM and considering support for a new ambulance.

A durable formula would not just decide who pays more. It would also shape who has leverage when staffing needs change, whether the county can keep pace with calls for service, and how much room the city has to absorb public safety costs during a tight budget year. LDCFM’s strategic plan describes the department as operating in a time of fiscal constraint, which is exactly why the formula discussion matters now.

For Lawrence and Douglas County, this is not a dramatic overhaul so much as a bid to make a shared obligation less fragile. If leaders can lock in a more predictable split, they may spend less time on annual budget brinkmanship and more time on the service residents expect when they call 911.