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Benton County accepts $305,461 ambulance grant and authorizes West Tennessee Healthcare to operate the equipment
Summary
The Benton County Commission approved acceptance of a reimbursable grant of $305,461 for one ambulance and a power lift system and authorized an interlocal agreement with West Tennessee Healthcare to operate and maintain the vehicle, with the hospital assuming insurance and operational costs.
The Benton County Board of Commissioners voted July 20 to accept a reimbursable grant of $305,461 to purchase one ambulance and a power lift system and authorized an interlocal agreement with West Tennessee Healthcare to operate and maintain the equipment.
The resolution, sponsored by County Mayor Mark Ward and brought to the floor after the commission suspended the rules, requires West Tennessee Healthcare to "accept full operational control of the ambulance and power lift system," maintain liability and physical damage insurance and "assume 100% of all maintenance, repair, fuel, and upkeep costs for the lifetime of the equipment." After an amendment, the motion to approve passed on a roll call vote recorded as 17 Ayes, 0 No, and 1 Absent.
The packet language notes that the appropriation of $305,461 would be made from Fund 171 (Decrease 171.39000 Unassigned Fund Balance; Increase 171.91140.718 Motor Vehicles) and that the grant is reimbursable; the resolution directs the County Mayor to execute grant documents and the subsequent interlocal agreement.
The commission also specified that any interlocal agreement must require West Tennessee Healthcare to indemnify Benton County and to provide and maintain comprehensive insurance covering the assets. The motion to bring the item to the floor was made by Commissioner Miller and seconded by Commissioner Bain, and the final approval (as amended) was moved by Commissioner Horton and seconded by Commissioner Douglas.
What happens next: the County Mayor is authorized to accept the grant, appropriate the funds in the county's FY 2026–27 budget, and execute the interlocal agreement with West Tennessee Healthcare. The resolution states the county will be reimbursed by the grant program for the purchase once procedures in the grant are satisfied.
