Germantown board approves continued fact-finding on countywide EMS study

The Village Board voted to authorize continued fact-finding on a Washington County proposal to study a countywide emergency medical services system. Administrator Cricklow told trustees the county’s effort is currently limited to a financial and governance analysis and "does not commit the village to participating in a countywide system" and carries "no financial obligation" for the village at this stage.

Trustee Rick Miller moved approval of the first resolution in the packet — the version that leaves levy and depreciation allocation issues open pending the study’s results — and the motion carried after discussion. As Board members debated, President Soderbergh and others stressed governance and levy mechanics as central concerns, with Soderbergh saying the board must "get it right from a governance standpoint" before supporting any future commitment.

Trustees asked staff to monitor how any county proposal would treat municipal levies and asset depreciation. Trustee Jen Miller and others noted examples of alternative approaches used by nearby municipalities, including intermunicipal partnerships and private contracts, and urged that the county study include scenarios showing tax and levy impacts. Administrator Cricklow said county and municipal staff will perform the work and that there is no out-of-pocket cost to Germantown for the study.

The board’s action tonight was narrowly procedural: to continue fact-finding and receive future status reports, not to approve a transfer of services or funding. The board directed staff to return with financial detail and to keep governance structure options on the table as the analysis proceeds.