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Commissioners wrestle with EMS funding as directors warn staffing shortages threaten service
Summary
Ottawa County heard a long discussion from EMS leaders about recruiting challenges, payroll shortfalls and possible revenue options — including a countywide sales tax, township assessments, or consolidation of ambulance services — as directors warned it could take months to staff any expanded service even with new funding.
Commissioners spent an extended portion of the meeting on a countywide EMS briefing and options for stabilizing ambulance service after directors described persistent staffing shortages and tightening budgets.
Directors and commissioners discussed a range of potential responses: asking voters to approve a special sales tax earmarked for EMS funding; assessing townships for targeted support (several townships already contribute in neighboring counties); consolidating Minneapolis and Bennington services into a single countywide operation; or pursuing a scaled-back single crew model if funds and personnel cannot be found. Commissioners and EMS leaders agreed that recruitment is the primary obstacle: several directors said they placed ads earlier in the year and received few viable applicants and that starting wages would need to rise to attract EMTs and paramedics.
"If it came to 40–450,000 — I mean, that'd be 139," one commissioner said when discussing possible sales-tax revenue, and EMS leaders estimated a one-percent sales tax could generate about $450,000–$500,000 countywide in gross revenues but cautioned that distribution and exact yields depend on local economic factors. EMS leaders presented payroll figures: one director reported last year’s payroll near $304,000 and another noted an earlier figure of about $370,000 for their service; both said collections from billings commonly cover only a portion of billed charges because of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement levels.
Commissioners asked whether $450,000–$500,000 would be enough. The EMS director said it could stabilize payroll and allow higher wages to recruit staff, but cautioned that even with funding available, finding qualified paramedics will take time and that a multi-pronged approach is likely necessary (federal/state grants, county revenue and local municipal support). Commissioners discussed whether to place a question on the ballot for a special sales tax and asked staff to assemble financial scenarios showing the cost of maintaining two services vs. a single countywide service and whether a township-level assessment might be feasible.
Why it matters: commissioners described EMS as an essential service facing structural staffing and funding problems. Directors warned that without new local revenue and recruitment success, residents could experience reduced coverage or longer response times.
What’s next: staff and EMS leadership agreed to produce consolidated financial figures for 2024–2026, model the budgetary impact of a 1% sales tax and potential township assessments, and plan public outreach if the commission decides to place a funding measure on a future ballot.
