Cole County approves $100,000 EMS budget adjustment after higher-than-expected call volume

The Cole County Commission approved a $100,000 budget adjustment (Budget Adjustment No. 14) at its Dec. 31 meeting to cover overages in the county EMS fund after staff reported call volume and operating-cost increases.

Speaker 2 introduced the second reading of the budget adjustment and said action was required before the legal deadline. Speaker 8, representing EMS operations, said the budget had been planned for roughly 12,300 calls this year but actual call volume exceeded 13,500, producing "pretty significant overages in medical supplies, fuel, maintenance" and other operating costs. "So, we do need to move some of the revenue that was collected this year to balance out some of those expenditures," Speaker 8 said.

Speaker 3 moved to approve and sign Budget Adjustment No. 14 for $100,000 to the EMS fund; Speaker 4 seconded, and the commission approved the motion by voice vote. The motion record in the transcript does not include a detailed roll-call tally assigning aye/no votes to named commissioners.

The commission said this action was the final budget-related step for 2024 and was necessary to balance EMS accounts before year-end.