By Todd Marver
Jacksonville Journal-Courier
CARROLLTON, Ill. — The Greene County Board tabled putting its ambulance service out for bid at its special meeting Wednesday, while continuing discussions with Boyd Memorial Hospital.
A divide over the cost of emergency medical services has brought Greene County’s ambulance contract to a standstill with Boyd Memorial Hospital blocking the agreement from renewing automatically.
| THE PULSE: Medics cite staffing, leading from the front as signs of healthy leadership
The hospital has served a non-renewal notice to the county regarding the funding dispute, warning that running ambulances under the current budget is no longer financially viable. While emergency response vehicles will remain active through the contract expiration date of Nov. 9, a new long-term deal must be reached to secure service beyond that date.
According to a statement by Boyd, the current dispute dates to December when the hospital received a letter from the county stating that funding for the ambulance service would be reduced. The county’s reported payments to the hospital for ambulance operations plummeted to $230,000 for 2026, marking a $263,000 reduction from the $493,000 distributed to the hospital in 2025.
According to the hospital, the proposed funding level fails to cover basic costs, noting the ambulance service posted a deficit of $304,291 in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026 and warning that the $230,000 annual allocation offered by the county board is insufficient to maintain ongoing ambulance operations.
County Board Finance Chair Josh Lawson said that drawing vehicle fees out of its budget was a necessary step. According to the Greene County Board, it independently purchased an ambulance costing more than $250,000. The board argued that county-funded vehicles and equipment belong in the funding picture.
Lawson expanded on the county’s financial commitment, noting that its expenditures for the ambulance service were $770,000 for the 2025 budget when factoring in vehicle costs alongside the $493,000 hospital payout.
Lawson said this is a piece of the county’s overall spending, in addition to county departments. The county board balances costs for the ambulance service against needs of county departments.
“We paid the health department $253,000 and paid the entire highway department $344,000,” Lawson said. “That’s a couple hundred thousand dollars combined less than what we’ve paid for the ambulance service.”
Lawson explained the shift toward open bidding. Under the guidance of Greene County State’s Attorney Craig Grummel, the board was advised to gather bids for ambulance service.
“We’re holding this meeting to put the ambulance service out for bids per state statute,” Lawson said. “Per our state’s attorney, it’s a contract for over $30,000 and recommended we put it out for bids. Boyd is available to put a bid in. We would entertain a bid from Boyd if they want to put one in.”
Hospital administration confirmed its willingness to participate when Boyd Memorial Hospital President and CEO Stace Holland stated during the meeting that Boyd Memorial Hospital would place a bid to maintain its operation of the ambulance service.
The current standoff marks a turning point for a service that began with a 1978 voter-approved referendum. This authorized the county board to levy a tax of up to 25 cents per $100 of property value specifically to fund a county emergency transport system. While the hospital assumed management of the emergency vehicles, funding disputes have been a recurring issue. According to the hospital, the county paid $118,170 in 2021 to correct underpayments from 2010 to 2020.
Lawson disputed that figure, saying records indicate an underpayment of about $86,000 rather than $118,000, adding that the county’s records show the tax levy has never been completely maxed out at 25 cents since the hospital took responsibility of the service.
Seeking a resolution, the hospital met with the county board on Aug. 26 and presented a proposal for a new three-year agreement. The hospital requested an annual amount of $550,000 alongside a 4% annual increase to help account for rising operating costs, supplies and other expenses. According to the county board, this 4% annual increase would total $1,716,880 over three years.
According to the hospital, the county board did not issue a decision on its August proposal until its Oct. 8 meeting. The hospital was then informed that the county would not accept the terms and would instead seek other bids for the ambulance service if the hospital refused to operate under the reduced funding.
In a letter from Holland, the hospital declined the county’s offer to extend the current arrangement for an additional year. Holland said that the county’s proposed payment to the hospital for fiscal year 2027 falls below the support levels provided to the hospital since 2010, rendering the contract terms unacceptable and financially unsustainable.
“Historically you’ve given us more money than this every year,” Holland said at the meeting. “We cannot continue to use a hospital’s reserve money to cover the losses of the ambulance service if you’re only going to support us at that level.”
Holland said that attempting to operate under the county’s reduced allocation would force the service to scale down to a single active ambulance unit.
“One ambulance can’t cover the whole county,” Holland said. “The county is well-covered and the hospital wants to continue to run the ambulance, but we can’t jeopardize the survival of the hospital at that rate. People can underbid us, but I’m not confident in the service you would get and you would suffer for that.”
As the Nov. 9 deadline approaches, the hospital is questioning the board on potentially outsourcing the community’s emergency medical services to an entity outside of the county.
“Should county tax dollars be expended to corporate offices outside of Greene County ?” the hospital’s release asks. “Does an outside company have the same level of support for the hospital as a hospital-based service? No service can be as good as a local service where neighbors and friends are caring for neighbors and friends.”
The pushback has drawn the concern of county departments tasked with handling emergencies.
“As the county coroner, I am concerned if Boyd is not running the ambulance service,” Coroner Brady Milnes said. “The quality of service we’d get wouldn’t be the same. Private ambulance services don’t care about us and they care about the money you give them and that’s it. They’ll make every promise, they’ll come in here and you’ll sign a contract and they will stick to it and there’s not much recourse.”
The county board said that while it values Boyd’s EMS personnel and its work, the board seeks to be financially prudent.
“I have a great deal of respect for Boyd and the essential ambulance services they provide our community,” Lawson said. “My responsibility as a County Board member and Finance Chair is to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. That is what this process has been about — ensuring we can provide reliable ambulance service in a way that is responsible and sustainable for Greene County .”
© 2026 the Jacksonville Journal-Courier (Jacksonville, Ill.).
Visit www.myjournalcourier.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.