By Serena Vasudeva
Crossville Chronicle
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — Crossville residents showed up to City Hall Tuesday to express their concerns with a city-owned ambulance service.
Cheri Carson said she has called 911 three times from June 2024 to January 2025 and that the response time and treatment was excellent.
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“I recall reading that Dr. [ Mark] Fox used to ride in county ambulances to assist with first response, but his contract was not renewed. He clearly has a personal and professional interest in a city ambulance service and should recuse himself from any future votes regarding the issue,” Carson said, adding that Fox was leading the push for the service.
She also said Councilman Mike Turner, who served as the city’s fire chief, should not vote on an EMS service that would fall under the Crossville fire department.
“It’s time to let your constituents vote before approving a project that significantly raises our property taxes or any other kind of a tax. Three financially well-off men should not force 13,000 city residents or almost 66,000 county residents to pay more taxes for a project that does not solve a problem or make an improvement,” Carson said.
Bruce Wyatt said he has called the ambulance twice for his family. Both times, they arrived quickly and performed professionally.
He said he is concerned about cooperation between the city and county.
“I can remember when our two mayors wouldn’t even sit on a stage together. And I’ve seen, up close, the results of that animosity. Prospective industrial employers turning away from bringing jobs to our people when they sensed obvious dissension among our leaders,” Wyatt said.
He said that he has since seen county and city officials standing and celebrating team accomplishments.
However, when he read Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster’s resolution against the city EMS, it said the mayor hadn’t been contacted by city officials.
“I couldn’t believe it. How could that important move been made unilaterally without discussing it with Mayor Foster?” he asked.
“I think I speak for a lot of folks in the city and the county in my urging [for] our elected officials to work together on matters such as this,” Wyatt said. “Don’t go down that road of dissension again.”
Cumberland County Commissioner Tom Isham represents the 2nd District, which is inside the city. He said the resolution opposing the city-run ambulance service was signed by all 18 county commissioners and the county mayor.
“We think it’s unnecessary. We think we have one of the best ambulance services in the state of Tennessee,” Isham said.
“If there is a problem, let the city and the county get together and work this out,” he added. “Don’t put a tax burden on the taxpayers of the city of Crossville because it’s gonna hurt a lot of people.”
He said that the high tax burden would hurt business owners, who will be appraised 40% more on property taxes.
Two business owners showed up to oppose the service.
GrinderHouse owner Asa Reese said his coffee house employs 20 people at what he estimates to be a $7 million benefit to the city.
“Is this a need or is this a want? Do we need to duplicate this service, as others have spoken about?” Reese asked. “The domino effect of what y’all are talking about outweighs anything that you’ve thought about. If it pushes me out of downtown, then that’s what I’m gonna have to do. And that $7 million a year is gonna go somewhere else.”
Roger Baker has owned a small business in Crossville for almost 40 years. He said his wife had a stroke around three weeks ago and that he couldn’t ask for a better ambulance service.
“They saved my wife,” Baker said. “If you can’t get along with [the county], you need to leave them alone and let them go … This is bullcrap right here, it sure is.”
Joining residents was Cumberland Medical Center Chief Administrative Officer and President Randy Davis. He said that the county EMS is a great partner to the hospital.
“I haven’t heard a problem, meaning me, from the hospital perspective. They’re there when called,” Davis said.
Jonelle Cochran lives in Grandview but said that Crossville is where she goes to spend her money. She said she was there to speak on behalf of her friends who live in Crossville.
She said she contacted the three council members who voted for the project and asked what the deficiency in the county ambulance service was.
She also asked if the council had gone to the county commission to ask for more ambulances.
Cochran said she was told that the service is not a redundancy because it’s the only essential service that is not offered separately.
“I feel that’s weak for the amount of money that’s going to be spent,” she said. “How do you justify this extreme expenses when you can’t even tell me what the deficiency is in what we have now? We know our county EMS is highly rated, they’re very efficient, and they have a very strong fleet.”
Cochran asked for the city council to rescind their vote.
Homestead resident Craig Clark said he had a heart attack June 12. When his wife called 911, the ambulance arrived in 7 minutes. He said a cardiologist received data on his heart and directed first responders on treatment while he was still in his driveway.
“County ambulances have been uniquely equipped to accurately assess my information,” Clark said. “This proposal will greatly increase the cost to the city and result in logistical issues for the county.”
Pastor Jerry Brownstead said the county EMS has done a fantastic job since he moved to the area in 1988.
“I understand the idea of having a city ambulance service, it’s a good idea, but it’s not the proper time. I stand against it because our citizens, most of them are on a fixed income in one way or another,” Brownstead said.
“Do not be the city council that will be known as the one that sits there and doubles the taxes on the average working person in this town. It’s not fair for them.”
Later in the meeting, the original ambulance service ordinance was rescinded 3-2, with Mayor RJ Crawford and Councilmen Art Gernt and James Mayberry voting for it.
Turner and Fox voted against rescinding. The original ordinance included starting the city EMS on or around July 1, 2026.
The service will be put up to a referendum in November 2026, meaning city voters will decide the outcome of the service.
Crawford, Gernt, Mayberry and Turner all voted to put the issue to a referendum, while Fox dissented.
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