St. Joseph News-Press
BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. — Buchanan County will offer three options Thursday that county commissioners say they could accept as a solution for a new ambulance service.
The Community Ambulance Response to Emergencies, or CARE, committee will be meeting Thursday. The committee asked for an opinion on how to move forward, said R.T. Turner, presiding commissioner.
Dwight Scroggins, prosecutor, is serving as vice chairman of the ambulance committee, and developed three timelines for three possible solutions. “There are pros and cons for each,” Mr. Turner said.
The first option would have the county running the ambulance service, which would mean buying equipment and hiring trained personnel.
The second option would have the county putting out a request for proposals to get bids from Heartland Health, the St. Joseph Fire Department, national for-profit ambulance services and any other interested party to contract with the county to provide services.
The third option would involve creating an ambulance district, which would operate a county service using an independent board.
Commissioners said they were open to any of the options. All three could be funded by either a half-cent sales tax or a 30 cent per $100 of assessed valuation property tax. The sales tax is estimated to generate about $5.7 million, and a property tax would be a bit more than $3 million.
Ron Hook, Western District commissioner, supported a sales tax. Dan Hausman, Eastern District commissioner, supported a property tax. Both agreed with Mr. Turner to consider any funding method offered by the CARE committee.
In order to meet any of those funding options and Heartland’s announced ambulance service closure date of July 1, 2014, the funding issue would have to be ready for the November election, no later than Aug. 24.
Option one would require only the November election, and the county could move forward to create the system.
Option two would need to announce by next month that the county is seeking bids. Bids would be due by Aug. 1, and financing would have to be certified on Aug. 24 for the November election.
Option three would require the committee to begin a petition drive this month, seeking about 5,000 signatures, and have it ready by July 15. A public hearing would have to be held around Aug. 15. The funding would have to be certified on Aug. 28 for the November election. If approved in November, the county would have to be divided into six equal districts. Then candidates to form and run a county ambulance district would need to be on the ballot for an April 2014 election.
Any one of these options is doable, Mr. Scroggins said Tuesday. But time is running out if Heartland intends to hold the community to its July 1 deadline, he said.
Mr. Hook liked the first option and Mr. Hausman had a preference for number three. Mr. Turner said he didn’t have a preference.
Copyright 2013 St. Joseph News-Press
All Rights Reserved