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Commissioners discuss EMS funding requests; propose $400,000 cushion in commissioners' budget
Summary
After presentations from EMS providers and the county's mayor, commissioners discussed increasing EMS support and recommended adding $400,000 to the commissioners' budget to allow payments to Newcastle, Middletown, Shirley or other local EMS providers at the commissioners' discretion.
County commissioners and staff met with representatives of local EMS providers and reviewed preliminary cost requests. The county currently budgets approximately $300,000 for Newcastle EMS; providers asked for higher support this year as operating costs rose.
At the workshop commissioners discussed several scenarios and agreed to add $400,000 to the commissioners’ budget as a cushion to allow the county to allocate funds to Newcastle, Middletown, Shirley or other volunteer EMS services as needed. The amount is intended to be flexible; commissioners said the allocation could be distributed among providers at their discretion and asked for contract‑style expectations from providers so the county knows what services and coverage will be funded.
Commissioners emphasized the county’s fiscal position: staff reported the general fund is showing a conservative surplus against Baker Tilly projections, allowing a one‑time augmentation without immediately pursuing tax increases. Several commissioners also asked for clear maps and written agreements that specify which provider is responsible for which geography and what service level the county can expect for the funding.
Ending: Finance and county staff will prepare the budget amendment to add $400,000 to the commissioners’ budget and will request written service expectations and a draft funding agreement from EMS providers to guide how the funds will be disbursed.
