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Council debates putting portion of fire sales tax on ballot to fund EMS; members ask for plan and propose 25% split
Summary
Council discussion and extended public comment on a resolution to order an election to rededicate part of the parish's 1% fire sales tax for ambulance/EMS funding. EMS staff and residents urged permanent funding; Councilman Schultz signaled he will propose a 25% amendment for the next meeting and asked for a costed plan before a ballot referral.
The Plaquemines Parish Council spent a prolonged section of its June 11 meeting debating whether to place a rededication of part of the parish’s 1% fire sales tax on the November ballot to provide dedicated funding for EMS services.
A resolution to order an election and make application to the Louisiana State Bond Commission was read for discussion. Numerous speakers — including EMS personnel, volunteer and paid firefighters, paramedics and residents — urged the council to secure a dedicated funding source. EMS manager Shannon Larus described staffing shortages, civil-service hiring constraints and the difficulty of sustaining operations without a stable revenue stream. Several on-duty EMS and fire personnel described response gaps and cited examples where longer response times created danger for patients.
Council members emphasized two recurring points: the need for a concrete plan (how many additional units and stations, staffing levels, capital/operating costs, and how much of the 1% would be redirected) and the requirement to avoid unintended harm to fire department operations. Councilman Schultz said he would file an amendment at the next meeting to designate 25% of the dedicated 1% for EMS and asked administration and EMS leadership to produce a costed plan in advance of the vote so voters can decide with specifics. Other members suggested different splits (some discussed up to 30% or 50% during debate) and stressed the long-term need to make EMS financially self-sustaining through enterprise budgeting and collections.
Administration said if the council votes to place the measure on the next meeting agenda the state bond commission can be called and the measure could appear on the November ballot, but timeline uncertainties remain. Council members and administration committed to follow-up: administration and EMS were asked to produce financials, call-volume and cost estimates, and staffing plans to be presented before any final vote to send the measure to the ballot.
No final ballot referral vote was recorded during the June 11 meeting; Councilman Schultz said he will offer a 25% amendment at the next meeting and the council requested the documents requested by members before making a final decision.
