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West Chester committee weighs dedicated public‑safety tax to steady EMS funding
Summary
Finance committee members discussed creating a dedicated public‑safety millage to lock funding for EMS (and possibly fire), with staff estimating a 0.5‑mill carve‑out would raise about $396,000 — roughly matching the current ambulance contract; the proposal would be carved into the tax‑rate ordinance and could be adjusted by referendum.
The West Chester Finance Committee discussed a proposal to create a dedicated public‑safety tax line to ensure stable funding for emergency medical services and possibly fire protection.
Barb, the borough director, told the committee that under Pennsylvania borough code the council can allocate up to a half‑mill specifically for EMS and that, using the borough's current millage, a 0.5‑mill dedication would raise approximately $396,000 — “which is slightly above what the current contract for Good Fellowship is now,” she said.
The discussion centered on how to structure the revenue so it becomes a separate, protected line in the tax‑rate ordinance rather than a carve‑out from existing general‑fund revenues. Committee members supported creating a separate fund to improve long‑term budgeting for emergency services and to avoid repeated, large mid‑year shortfalls. One member noted last year’s unexpected 70% increase in EMS costs and said a dedicated line would create a “rainy day” reserve for future shocks.
Residents who spoke during public comment pushed for transparency and asked whether the dedicated line would appear as a separate line item on tax bills. Barb said the carve‑out would appear in the tax‑rate ordinance the same way the borough currently designates debt service or the library allocation; she added that printing the breakdown on the bill itself is a separate choice the council could make.
Other commenters offered alternate revenue ideas. Holly Brown recalled a prior local effort to propose a municipal drink tax to fund police and suggested exploring similar targeted revenue sources.
Committee members asked staff to return with model millage options and estimates for how much revenue would be generated for both EMS and fire (Barb provided the EMS estimate during the meeting and said she would model fire scenarios for the next meeting). The committee also discussed legal limits and the option to pursue a referendum if council wanted authority to exceed the default half‑mill cap.
Next steps: staff will prepare millage scenarios and a draft ordinance for further committee review.
