Benton County Ambulance Meetings Set To Begin

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace will begin their voter education effort for two ambulance plans with a town hall meeting at 9 a.m. Sept. 20 in Centerton City Hall.

Susan Anglin of District 9 will attend Mayor Bill Edwards' "Coffee With The Mayor" to provide information about the plans residents will vote for or against in the Nov. 4 general election.

Anglin wants voters to have as much information as possible when they go to the polls. The proposals haven't generated much enthusiasm among those she has talked with, Anglin said.

"I haven't heard anyone tell me they're supporting either one," she said. "We're offering the voters two options, and we're trying to provide as much information as we can."

The county will ask voters to approve two plans to pay part of the cost of ambulance service in unincorporated areas.

One proposal would levy a county millage of 0.2 mills to raise an estimated $833,000 annually. The property tax increase would apply to all residents.

The second proposal, to form an emergency medical services district with a $40 per household fee, would raise about $527,000 a year. The district would include all of the unincorporated areas of the county except the area served by the Northeast Benton County Fire Department's ambulance service.

Anglin has two other meetings scheduled as part of the educational effort. Anglin plans to use a presentation developed by Joel Jones of District 6 covering the history of the ambulance funding effort and basic details about the issue.

"I feel I've done what I needed to do by supporting having both on the ballot and letting people decide for themselves," she said.

Patrick Carr of District 12 has a town hall meeting set for Siloam Springs residents Oct. 20. Carr said he's gotten more positive feedback about the current proposals than he did about the first attempt to pay for ambulance service through an EMS district and $85 per household fee. That proposal was rejected in February after a petition gathered enough signatures to force a vote.

Kurt Moore of District 13, which includes much of the rural areas of southwestern Benton County, also will participate in his initial meeting, Carr said. Carr hasn't decided about additional events.

"Most of my district is incorporated Siloam Springs," Carr said. "I'm going to get with Kurt, and we're going to go from there. We'll do the entire presentation, both the EMS district and the millage, to give everybody a good view of where we are."

Carr said he's heard positive things about the proposals.

"I'm hearing support for both sides of the argument," he said. "Some people in support of one plan and some people in support of the other. I think there's much more engagement than there was on the last vote. People seem to be more plugged in and aware that ambulance service is a necessity for everyone in Benton County."

Barry Moehring of District 15 said he is getting questions about the proposals.

"People are asking 'Why are there two plans?'" he said. "I'm getting questions from people in the city asking 'Why should I vote to tax myself for rural ambulance service?'"

Moehring said he'll offer the voters information without interjecting his opinion into the process.

"The voters are going to get a chance to vote, and I don't want to predict either way," he said. "I think there will be a robust series of town halls where people can be involved in the process."