Marquette County administrator’s authority questioned after notice to end non‑mandated EMS, animal‑control contracts

Judy Nigberg, a member of the Marquette County Judicial & Public Safety Committee, and other committee members pressed the county administrator on whether he had the authority to give notice to a neighboring provider to end a county EMS contract without first taking the issue through the committee and the full county board.

"I believe our administrator acted prematurely in giving notice to [a neighboring] county to end the EMS contract we have with them because the policy regarding EMS service was not vetted properly through the public safety committee," Mary Walters told the committee, reading a prepared statement that asked for both the EMS contract and the county’s animal‑control contract to be added to the next meeting agenda for full committee review.

The county administrator, referred to in the meeting as Ron, responded that reviewing or ending non‑mandated contracts falls within actions he must consider as part of preparing the 2027 budget. "It's literally right in my contract... in looking at the directives I have been given regarding the 27 budget I realized that those non‑mandated services ... I had to look at the non‑mandated services first," he told the committee, adding that several related discussions had occurred in closed session and that he provided advanced notice to the other county as a courtesy because of their budget constraints.

Committee members repeatedly said they want legal clarification before similar actions move forward. One member noted that prior boards had set policy by resolution that established EMS staging (a full paramedic service with three stations and a contracted neighboring provider in lieu of a fourth station), and argued that changing that policy requires board action. "To change this ... the board must formally vote to change this policy by going through the proper committees and then to the full county board," the member said.

The committee asked staff to place the EMS contract and the animal‑control contract on the next Public Safety agenda so the board can review the written policy, any relevant resolutions and receive legal counsel. The county’s court counsel was asked to provide an opinion; the administrator said he would seek clarification and the committee expects a response at the next meeting.

The committee took no final formal vote on policy at the meeting; motions recorded in the transcript covered agenda and minutes approvals and the committee’s internal chair nomination process.

What happens next: Committee members will ask court counsel to clarify the legal division of authority between board‑set policy and administrator contracting authority; both contracts were requested to appear on the next committee agenda for discussion and possible action.