At the Clark County Fiscal Court meeting, magistrates approved the county's adoption of the city's "option 2" for the city-county EMS agreement, a package that defers a one-year capital payment for ambulances and adopts option 2 of a proposed seven-year Stryker equipment lease.
The vote approved two specific choices from the city's proposal: to forego (defer) a $340,200 payment tied to recently ordered ambulance chassis and to accept a Stryker lease (seven-year equipment lease) under the city's proposed terms. Magistrate Hamley presented the recommendation and moved to adopt both option twos; the motion carried on recorded voice votes.
Why it matters: The agreement changes how capital costs and recurring equipment payments are shown in EMS operating budgets and reduces the county's immediate cash outlay for the current fiscal year. Several magistrates warned that larger capital decisions have occurred without routine Fiscal Court review and urged a stronger joint EMS oversight process going forward.
Details and debate: Presenters and committee members explained that the county has three ambulances currently in operation, with additional chassis ordered over multiple fiscal years so payments span 25 fiscal cycles. The city used ARPA funds to cover earlier chassis costs, and the city plans to finance the new ambulances for fiscal year 26. The Stryker lease quoted in the meeting paperwork was described as roughly $21,058 per month (about $252,700 per year) for a seven-year term; committee presenters stated that equipment in the Stryker package fits three ambulances and includes monitors, cots and related devices. The county's concern focused on the long-term operating cost of expanding to a five-vehicle fleet and where new units would be sited to serve county residents outside the city.
Oversight and next steps: Multiple magistrates asked that future capital purchases that exceed the state's small-purchase threshold be routed to the Fiscal Court for approval and that the joint EMS committee be re-activated to review fleet rotation, siting and operating assumptions. Officials agreed to continue joint committee work on the fleet rotation, vehicle financing and potential placement of a unit at a county station to shorten rural response times.
Outcome: The Fiscal Court approved the county adopting the city's option 2 choices for ambulances and the Stryker starter contract (both option twos) for the current fiscal year, while directing staff and the joint EMS committee to develop longer-term capital and siting plans.