Crossville council rescinds earlier referendum approval after state guidance blocks municipal EMS referendum

Crossville’s city council voted to rescind an earlier motion approving a referendum on creating a municipal emergency medical services (EMS) system after being told state law does not permit such an item to be placed on a local ballot.

Council members debated two options after the city received guidance from state officials: rescind the prior local motion or petition the Tennessee General Assembly for a special private act to allow a referendum. Council member (speaker 2) told the meeting that “the Tennessee General Assembly list of items that are appropriate and approved for subjection to a local referendum does not include such item as establishing a municipal EMS,” and that the Tennessee attorney general’s office had reached the same conclusion.

The council then considered a motion to proceed to the General Assembly to request a private act that would permit the referendum. Council member (speaker 4) argued for letting voters decide, saying it was better “to go ahead and get in on the referendum and let the public vote.” Finance concerns were raised: one council member (speaker 5) said, “With the finance director saying that we would have to raise property taxes over 100%, I couldn’t support it,” underscoring significant projected local cost implications if a municipal EMS were adopted without outside funding.

The motion to pursue a private act did not receive the supermajority required. A roll-call sequence recorded three votes in favor and two opposed, short of the four-vote threshold the council later described as necessary to send the petition to the state for special legislation.

After the private-act motion failed, Council member (speaker 4) moved to rescind the board’s prior referendum vote on Sept. 9. The motion to rescind carried on a subsequent roll call, with the council recording four votes in favor and one opposed; the mayor cast the lone opposing vote. The council’s action removes the earlier authorization to pursue a local referendum on municipal EMS absent state action to enable it.

City Attorney (speaker 9) briefly noted he had nothing further to add beyond the legal guidance already discussed. The city manager (speaker 10) did not announce any immediate next steps for EMS policy but the council’s rescission means the issue would require state-level action before a local referendum could be held.

The council’s action clarifies the city’s immediate legal posture on municipal EMS: absent a private act or other change in state law, the city cannot place the establishment of a municipal EMS on a local referendum. The council did not adopt any policy changes creating an EMS at this meeting.