MORGAN COUNTY, W.Va. — Commercial properties will now be subject to Morgan County’s ambulance fee after the county commission approved an ordinance change following months of discussion and three public hearings.
Commissioners voted on the change during a special budget meeting on March 9, The Morgan Messenger reported. The revised ordinance took effect immediately, and commercial property owners will see the fee on their next property tax bill in July.
| READ NEXT: Deceased on scene: The policy and reimbursement conundrum for EMS
Revenue from the ambulance fee is directed to the county’s EMS Board, which uses the funds to pay for its annual contract with Morgan County Rescue Service Inc., the nonprofit ambulance provider for the county.
Morgan County first approved its Special Emergency Ambulance Service Ordinance in 2007 and has amended it four times.
The most recent change, in April 2016, set the fee at $150 per year for each residential unit. The fee does not apply to vacant land.
Under the revised ordinance, commercial property owners will pay at least the same annual fee as residential property owners, with higher charges possible based on the square footage of permanent commercial structures. The commercial fee does not apply to churches, hospitals or schools in the county.
Under the amended ordinance, commercial property owners will pay a minimum of $150 per property, with final fees based on square footage.
Officials said the structure mirrors the county’s fire fee calculation method, which was used to determine the new rate.
Commissioners approved the change at the recommendation of the EMS Board, which said ambulance fee revenue was no longer enough to cover the county’s annual contract with Morgan County Rescue Service Inc.
The most recent contract was renewed for $1.54 million, while the county collected $1.34 million in ambulance fee revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
County officials said they did not want to increase the ambulance fee for residential property owners and instead looked for other ways to generate revenue for ambulance services.
resilience and decision-making when critical infrastructure fails
