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Commission votes to end county nonemergency transport operation effective June 30; staff to review EMS staffing options during budget
Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted to end the county’s nonemergency transport department as a standalone service effective June 30, 2025, citing repeated operating deficits and directing staff to address staffing transitions with EMS during the budget process.
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to end Bertie County’s nonemergency transport (NET) department as a standalone operation, effective June 30, 2025.
County staff presented a ten-year profit-and-loss overview showing repeated operating deficits in the NET program. The county manager recommended ending NET as a separate department, moving a portion of its current employees into existing and planned Emergency Medical Services (EMS) vacancies, and continuing limited nonemergency transport services from within EMS when feasible.
The manager said NET recorded losses in most years between 2015 and the present and that the current fiscal-year deficit was approximately $181,901 as of March; staff cautioned that losses could grow through the fiscal year. For operational continuity, the manager suggested transitioning four NET staff into existing EMS vacancies and adding the remaining NET personnel to EMS to provide mutual support for 911 responses and continued nonemergency trips that are required locally (for dialysis and facility transfers), with the full staffing picture to be resolved during the county’s upcoming budget process.
Commissioners discussed timing and employee impacts. Several members said they supported ending NET’s standalone operations by June 30 but wanted staff to prioritize preserving employment where possible; others emphasized the need to finalize EMS staffing and budget moves during the formal budget process. The board’s motion specified a June 30, 2025 sunset for NET; managers were directed to return with budget proposals addressing EMS positions and the transition plan.
Provenance: county manager presentation and extended commissioner discussion produced the motion and vote to terminate NET at the end of the fiscal year.
