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Finance committee recommends $1.69 million for SCEMS payroll as town assessments rise
Summary
The Deerfield Finance Committee on April 6 recommended $1,688,501 for South County EMS (SCEMS) payroll in FY2027, a 5.67% increase driven largely by higher medical insurance and overhead costs; the committee and Select Board also approved related SCEMS enterprise and assessment amounts.
On April 6, 2026, the Town of Deerfield Finance Committee recommended $1,688,501 for the South County EMS (SCEMS) payroll budget for fiscal 2027. The motion, made by Margaret Nartowicz and seconded by John Paresky, passed the Finance Committee 6-0-0 and was likewise approved by the Select Board 3-0-0.
Committee members said the payroll figure is $90,651 (5.67%) higher than last year. Officials attributed roughly half of that increase to higher medical insurance costs, with additional upward pressure from higher overhead charged to Deerfield and routine step increases for employees.
Joshua Sparks, participating by Zoom, said SCEMS would like to establish a capital stabilization fund to cover future capital needs such as new ambulances but does not plan to fund that account in FY2027.
Separately, the committee recommended $241,710 for the SCEMS Enterprise Fund for 2027, a decrease of $978 (0.40%) from the prior year; Finance Committee members questioned a lower fuel-cost estimate, and Sparks expressed confidence in the projection. The committee also recommended a $518,861 assessment on Deerfield to support SCEMS operations — $103,846, or 25%, higher than last year — noting that retained earnings were not used for operations this year because those funds were spent on an ambulance purchase.
All SCEMS-related motions passed the Finance Committee unanimously (6-0-0) and were approved by the Select Board (3-0-0). The committee adjourned at 6:27 p.m.
What’s next: The Finance Committee recommendations will be reflected in the town’s omnibus FY2027 budget and presented at the upcoming Town Meeting.
