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Washington County outlines countywide EMS consortium proposal to Germantown trustees; county emphasizes support, not replacement, of local services
Summary
County officials presented a framework for a countywide EMS consortium intended to stabilize EMS funding and support volunteer recruitment; county said levy authority under a state statute would fund a consortium but numbers and formula remain to be finalized.
Washington County officials presented a proposal to Germantown's Village Board to form a countywide EMS consortium and volunteer-support program intended to blunt long-term tax pressure and preserve emergency medical services across municipalities.
Chief Public Safety Dave Sager told trustees the county's strategic priorities include aligning scarce expertise and technology to preserve EMS levels and reduce the probability of municipal referendums. He described existing shared-services investments, reporting roughly $3 million of county-supported grants over the last three years and additional shared-service investments totaling nearly $7.8 million since late 2023.
Sager cited a statutory path for county action (presented in the meeting packet and audio as "statute 66 06 02 sub 36") that would let a county levy to support an EMS consortium. County presenters emphasized the program would be supportive: "Washington County is not coming in to do EMS. Washington County is coming in to support," Sager said, adding the goal is to maintain local control while providing fiscal sustainability.
Why it matters: Several jurisdictions across the state have used county-level mechanisms to stabilize EMS delivery as call volumes rise and volunteer ranks age and shrink. County staff emphasized demographic trends (rising call volume and an older population) and projected operating pressures that could push many municipalities to seek referendums within five years.
What was said: The county described five objectives: mitigate long-term tax burden, support volunteer and paid-on-call staffing, preserve EMS levels, relieve municipal fiscal pressure, and maintain local control. County staff said a proposal and implementation plan would be drafted for consideration by January 1, 2028, and that county-board action would be required to finalize any levy and distribution methodology. Trustees asked the county to clarify how Germantown's recent public-safety referendum (which raised local resources) would be considered in formula design.
Next steps: County staff will continue stakeholder work with municipal chiefs, administrators and fire chiefs, and return with detailed cost models and distribution proposals. The county indicated a target of county-board consideration in midsummer; trustees asked that Germantown receive model numbers to evaluate potential double-tax concerns and net benefit for the village.
