Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Roane County moves $120,000 to EMS operating amid falling call volumes and low reimbursements
Summary
After an extended debate about ambulance finances, the commission voted unanimously to transfer $120,000 from the general capital projects fund into EMS operating to keep vehicles and staff in service while staff and commissioners continue to explore reimbursement and long-term funding options.
The Roane County Commission voted Oct. 9 to transfer $120,000 from the general capital projects fund into the EMS operating budget (fund 01/18) after staff warned that the ambulance service’s cash-on-hand has fallen and that declining call volume and low reimbursement rates are squeezing revenue.
Staff and commissioners described a long-running trend of lower call volumes and lower-than-expected reimbursement for certain run types, which has reduced revenue even as fixed costs for salaries, benefits and equipment remain. The county’s cash-on-hand for EMS was reported in the meeting as roughly $103,000 with the trustee; commissioners said that amount is down from historical levels.
Commissioners and staff discussed options including raising user rates, increasing property-tax…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
