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Struthers council hears plan to place EMS levy on ballot after staffing and reimbursement shortfalls
Summary
City officials and public speakers discussed rolling ambulance operations into the fire department, staffing needs for paramedics and dispatchers, ambulance reimbursement shortfalls and a target deadline of Feb. 5 to place a levy on the ballot.
Struthers City Council members and city staff heard detailed briefings on emergency medical services funding, staffing needs and a possible levy to be placed on an upcoming ballot.
Council members, fire officials and other speakers told the committee that the city’s fire department now operates the ambulance service and that current staffing and reimbursement levels leave gaps in coverage. City staff said they can prepare a cost breakdown for additional paramedics and dispatchers and pursue placing a levy on the ballot if the council directs them to do so.
Why it matters: City leaders said the proposed levy would fund additional EMTs/paramedics and dispatch capacity that they say are necessary to reduce long ambulance response times and to maintain 24/7 EMS coverage if ambulance runs continue to rely heavily on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
Discussion and key details - Staffing and coverage: Speakers described scenarios in which limited staffing can leave a single EMT or crew responding alone to calls while another ambulance is on a medical run. City staff and council members said adding two paramedics and at least one or two additional dispatchers would improve response capacity. - Reimbursement and revenue: A presenter said the city’s average ambulance reimbursement is about $520 per call after factoring in payor mix; the same presenter described roughly $100,000 in collections brought in over recent years from ambulance billing. Those numbers were discussed as insufficient to fully fund expanded staffing without additional local revenue. - Levy timing and outreach: Committee members and staff noted a deadline to get ballot language ready and concluded there is limited time: “We have until February 5th to put it on the ballot,” a council member said during the meeting. Staff agreed to prepare a cost breakdown for scenarios (for example, two paramedics plus one or two dispatchers) and to draft proposed legislation and a public mailer for voter information. - Budget process: Council members emphasized they will not unilaterally set detailed staffing numbers; instead they asked department leadership (identified in discussion as Mike, who has compiled initial cost estimates) to recommend specific positions and costs, after which council will determine how much to request in supplemental funding.
What the city directed or promised - Staff will provide a line-item cost breakdown for: additional paramedics, dispatch staffing (costs for one and two additional dispatchers), and equipment/operational needs. - Staff indicated they can prepare ballot language and a public mailer if the council chooses to pursue a levy; a follow-up meeting was suggested within two weeks to finalize materials and potentially introduce legislation.
Unknowns and limits of authority - No formal vote to place a levy on the ballot was recorded in the committee transcript. Council members discussed time-sensitive next steps but did not adopt final legislation during this meeting. - Exact levy amount, millage rate or ballot wording were not specified in the meeting record.
Ending Council members asked staff to return with specific dollar figures so the council can decide whether to put a levy before voters. Staff and council scheduled follow-up work in the coming weeks; no formal ballot measure was adopted in the meeting record.
