Supervisors press for oversight after emergency-service funding jump

A sharp rise in emergency-service funding requests and debate over safeguards dominated discussion as the Board considered the FY2026 budget. Several supervisors said the EMS/fire ask jumped from about $215,000 previously to roughly $896,000 in a single year and urged deeper scrutiny before allocating county tax dollars.

"If we're given this kind of money with no guarantees…should we get liens on titles? Do they pay the county back since they are a private entity?" asked one supervisor during the meeting, summarizing public concern about providing large sums to volunteer organizations without contractual assurances. Board members directed staff to draft possible MOUs and to bring financial documentation, including bank statements and spending details, to a work session so the finance committee and the board’s representatives on any regional boards can assess need and oversight.

Some supervisors said they would not vote to release funds unless county representatives on emergency-service committees supported the request. Others pointed out short-term solutions such as grant applications or temporarily moving items into the general fund while the committee reviews books and establishes requirements.