Benton County Ambulance Plans Stall

BENTONVILLE -- Plans to pay for rural ambulance service stalled Thursday when the Benton County Quorum Court failed to approve the resolutions needed to put the measures on the November ballot.

Two plans to pay for rural ambulance service were being considered and an ordinance for each was on the third and final reading at Thursday's meeting.

At A Glance

Ambulance Service

Ambulance service to the unincorporated areas of Benton County is provided by seven municipal fire departments and the Northeast Benton County Fire Department. State law requires an agreement between the cities and the county if municipal ambulance service is to be used outside the cities.

Source: Staff Report

One plan calls for an emergency medical services district with a $40 household fee. The district would cover the unincorporated areas of the county except the area served by the Northeast Benton County Fire Department. A similar plan was rejected by voters in February.

The other plan is a millage increase of 0.2 mills. The levy would increase the annual tax by $4 per $100,000 of value of the property, according to information from the county. The tax would apply to rural and city residents.

The justices of the peace approved both ordinances, then failed to approve the accompanying resolution. George Spence, county attorney, said the ordinances and resolutions required nine "yes" votes.

The ordinance on the countywide millage received nine yes votes, with Rey Hernandez, Jay Harrison, Kevin Harrison, Joel Jones, Shirley Sandlin, Susan Anglin, Michele Chiocco, Kurt Moore and Brent Meyers voting in favor of the ordinance. Mike McKenzie, Tom Allen, Pat Adams and Barry Moehring voted no.

The ordinance on the EMS District and $40 household fee was approved with 11 justices of the peace, McKenzie, Hernandez, Jay Harrison, Allen, Kevin Harrison, Jones, Sandlin, Anglin, Chiocco, Meyers and Moehring voting in favor. Adams and Moore voted against that ordinance.

The resolution on placing the millage plan on the November ballot garnered seven yes votes, with Hernandez, Jay Harrison, Kevin Harrison, Sandlin, Chiocco, Moore and Meyers voting in favor. McKenzie, Allen, Adams, Jones, Anglin and Moehring voted against the resolution.

The second resolution, on sending the $40 per household fee on for a vote, received six yes votes with McKenzie, Jay Harrison, Allen, Jones, Sandlin and Moehring voting in favor. Hernandez, Kevin Harrison, Adams, Anglin, Chiocco, Moore and Meyers voted no.

After the resolutions failed the justices of the peace discussed calling for a special meeting to reconsider the resolutions. Spence told the group election law deadlines will require action before the regular August meeting.

Jones of District 7 said he favors a special meeting. He said two justices of the peace, Patrick Carr and Steve Curry, were absent at Thursday meetings and the result at a second meeting might be different.

"We were divided but the votes were close," Jones said. "We had two members that could have affected one of the votes or swayed other members opinions."

Moehring of District 15 was less optimistic.

"I don't know what calling a special meeting is going to do," Moehring said. "What is going to change in the next T-minus 30 days?'"

Allen of District 4 said they need to start looking at other ways to find money for ambulance service in the budget.

"We'll have to sharpen our pencils and try to find a way to pay for ambulance service," Allen said. "We've had lengthy debates with the JPs, and I don't know that we're going to change any opinions."

Talks between the county and the cities have been going on since 2009. For 2014, the county is paying the cities $942,000. The cost of the service is expected to increase to $1.1 million next year and $1.2 million in 2016.

NW News on 07/25/2014

Upcoming Events