Edgefield County officials lay out options to cover growing EMS shortfall

Edgefield County Council members reviewed a package of funding options for emergency medical services during their Dec. 3 meeting, with county staff saying an operational shortfall and rising call volumes mean the county must act to avoid deeper budget gaps.

The county administrator told the council the EMS special revenue millage is currently about 12.7 mills and covered 48% of 2023–24 EMS expenditures; other revenue sources — insurance/private pay, Medicare and Medicaid — made up the remainder. The administrator said the county ran roughly a $361,000 shortfall last year and that the gap is growing this fiscal year. “An ambulance crew for a 4th ambulance, This is coming. it it's coming. There's no no way around it. We're gonna have to do this,” the administrator said during the presentation.

Why it matters: County staff said current coverage will not keep pace with projected demand and that staffing a fourth 24-hour ambulance would cost about $700,000 a year. Capital costs include roughly $350,000 for a new ambulance and an estimated $5 million for a new headquarters (the latter based on a Moseley Architects needs study), though staff said the headquarters could be built for less than the original estimate. County officials discussed options to cover the shortfall including a straight millage increase, a mix of millage and user fees, impact fees in high-growth areas, vehicle bonds, grants, and use of the general fund.

Discussion and options: Staff presented two illustrative funding scenarios: a full EMS special revenue millage increase to about 17.5 mills (which staff estimated as a roughly $70 increase per $100,000 of home value) or a combined approach of a 10‑mill increase plus a $44 per-parcel user fee. The administrator cautioned that user fees and impact fees have legal and practical limits: user fees generally cannot replace taxes for operations that are already funded by millage, and impact fees may be used only for capital items tied to growth in a defined area (for example, an ambulance staged at a Merriweather substation if the fee is levied in Merriweather).

Council members asked about alternatives. Some suggested exploring a countywide sales-tax option (a capital-project “penny tax”) to cover station construction, leaning on the potential for state legislative assistance, and redoubling grant-seeking for equipment. Staff said impact fees could reduce capital millage needs by about 1–1.5 mills in a best-case scenario but would not cover operations or staffing.

Next steps and public engagement: The council did not take a funding vote. Chair and staff asked that the administrator post the EMS presentation and a consolidated issue paper on the county website, and the chair proposed a public hearing in January to solicit citizen input. Staff also said the planning commission could be asked by resolution to study impact-fee options and, if authorized, seek consultant bids to produce a report and proposed ordinance for council consideration. Council members said they wanted more time to study options but emphasized the operational shortfall as the immediate concern.

Statements from officials in the meeting highlights: The administrator said the county must close the current budget shortfall and added, “We are going short now for this year. That number is growing.” Council members repeatedly emphasized urgency for at least incremental coverage increases and said capital planning could be phased pending further study and potential outside funding.

The meeting record shows discussion but no formal action on EMS funding during the Dec. 3 meeting. Staff said council will have the opportunity to vote on tax or fee changes later in the budget cycle; the administrator noted an operational decision would be needed before the March budget submission and that a definitive millage direction would be useful for budget planning.