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Grayson County grapples with EMS funding, volunteer retention as Galax requests bigger share
Summary
At a Grayson County budget work session, residents, volunteer squads and county staff debated rising requests from Galax-area emergency services, discrepancies in accounting for county support, and long-term options including a fire/EMS tax or renegotiating an interlocal agreement.
Ralph Norris, speaking for the county Emergency Services Commission, urged the Grayson County Board of Supervisors to reexamine how the county distributes direct funding to volunteer fire and rescue agencies and to address perceived disparities in support.
"I am here to speak on behalf of Grayson County Emergency Commission about the current funding and representation that each fire and rescue agency receives," Norris said during the public-comment period.
Norris and other speakers told the board that Galax-area agencies have received substantially larger increases in county support than other rescue squads. County staff presented line‑item numbers showing direct payments and other local support to rescue squads and to Grayson County Emergency Services (the countywide entity). The staff presentation cited the request from Galax-area emergency…
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