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Emery County EMS asks commissioners for $262,000 to raise on-call pay; board tables decision for budget review
Summary
Local EMS leaders and volunteers told the Emery County Commission the service is understaffed and seeks $262,000 from county CRA or state PILT to raise on-call pay and retain crews; commissioners asked staff to identify steady funding and tabled the request for action at a future meeting.
McKay Jansen, chair of the Emery County Emergency Medical Services Special Service District, and EMT trainers and crew leaders asked the county commission on Tuesday to provide $262,000 in ongoing funding so the district can raise on-call pay and stabilize staffing.
"We would like to request the county provide $262,000 whether that comes from CRA or PILT or divide that up as you will," Jansen said, asking the commission to consider using community redevelopment (CRA) or state PILT monies. Trainer Holly Smith summarized operational strain: "We are short staffed, and some days garages are running crews of 2 or not in service at all, leaving our community vulnerable." Smith added that volunteers historically earned "a dollar an hour" for much of her tenure and that recent increases to $4 an hour for some day shifts produced improved retention.
The EMS presenters told commissioners the requested funding would be used to increase on-call pay by roughly $2 an hour across five garages to improve recruitment and retention and reduce gaps in local emergency coverage. Jared Howes, an advanced EMT and garage lead, described longer response times when the nearest local garage is empty: "When an emergency call comes in and our local garage is empty, a crew from a completely different town miles away has to be dispatched," he said.
Commission discussion focused on where the county would source ongoing revenue. Commissioners and staff discussed drawing on CRA (solar project) funds, state PILT monies, and reallocating budgeted amounts; staff described roughly $70,000 already budgeted and the need to identify an additional approximately $180,000 if CRA funds are used. Commissioners emphasized the need for "steady" revenue rather than a one-time allocation to avoid later reversals that would harm morale.
After questions about current staffing (presenters reported Huntington at about 100% staffing, Green River ~75%, Orangeville and Castle Dale lower), commissioners moved to table the request so staff could return at the next meeting with concrete budgeting options and assurances about ongoing revenue. The motion to table carried on recorded voice votes, with commissioners saying they were generally supportive but wanted firmer funding commitments before approving an ongoing payroll increase.
Next steps: the commission asked staff to prepare firmer revenue and budget scenarios (CRA and state PILT breakdowns were discussed as options) and to bring a recommendation to the next commission meeting for a formal vote.
