Between The Lines: Benton County's Ambulance Issue Lingers For 2014

Benton County residents will be asked to pay a voluntary ambulance tax to pay for rural emergency medical service.

The county's Quorum Court approved the levy last week in another effort to find money to fund standby services for a large chunk of the rural county.

It won't be enough but it will help toward that goal.

Earlier, the court's finance committee agreed to cut into the road department budget to free $450,000 for ambulance services. The money had been earmarked for asphalt purchase.

The voluntary tax, like a proposed involuntary fee recently rejected by voters, will be placed on residents' property tax statements.

The proposed $85-per-household fee would have been the same for all the affected taxpayers. A 2-mill voluntary tax will vary depending on a taxpayer's holdings.

Residents may pay or not pay the tax, although county officials are hoping enough do to help cover the cost of contracts the county has negotiated with seven local cities.

The collective cost of the cities' services for 2014 is $950,000, but the county has only appropriated $236,000. That pays the cities through March. Redirected road money would stretch the payments past mid-year, if the full court agrees to the finance committee recommendation.

The voluntary tax itself won't help meet the additional cost any time soon. Property taxes aren't due until October.

Plus, the amount expected from the voluntary levy won't cover the annual cost. A 2-mill voluntary levy, assuming it attracts as many property taxpayers as a similar voluntary tax for roads does, would supply $217,000, or less than a quarter of what's needed this year. But there is really no way to know who will or won't pay the voluntary levy.

Anyway you look at it, this is going to be a difficult balancing act. Cuts like those planned for the road department's asphalt budget will be necessary. And the county will have to cut deeper to meet the contracts with the cities for 2014, much less to fund services in future years.

Understandably, County Judge Bob Clinard is saying he'd prefer delaying cuts to the road budget. He's suggesting the county may spend less for asphalt without altering the budget because of the impact of bad weather on the roads this year.

And he's encouraging other elected officials to free up money in their respective budgets to pay for ambulance service to the rural areas.

All of these elected officials -- the county judge, the other courthouse officials and the Quorum Court members -- should be super-sensitive to resolution of this particular crisis and its impact on the rest of the services county government supplies.

This is an election year. Clinard himself recently filed for re-election and has drawn two opponents so far. Ambulance service and roads will both be issues in the campaign to come, but they won't be the only issues.

In his announcement, Clinard specifically noted a likely focus on the county's court system and the need for a new courts building.

This is an issue that impacts every Benton County resident, not just those in the rural areas.

The courts are now housed in fast-growing downtown Bentonville, where new development is driving the local economy.

If the courts move to other, larger quarters, the historic courthouse may be converted to other use to further the economic impact. The courts, with an ever-increasing caseload, could be better served, too.

That wouldn't be an easy choice, nor a popular one is some quarters, but the debate is on the horizon and will be part of this year's politics.

The judge and Quorum Court have committed to see rural ambulance service continue, as they should. It is a life-and-death issue that could impact anyone passing through rural Benton County.

Yet, county officials must also keep in mind that a majority of their constituents live in the cities. The county cannot deny them services as they look for ways to pay to have ambulances standing by for rural emergencies.

Some people fail to understand how much county government affects the lives of city residents. Officials serving the county in countywide office or on the Quorum Court can't afford to forget that fact, particularly not in an election year.

Commentary on 03/02/2014

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