A ballot measure to form an ambulance district for Grundy County will not appear on the November ballot.
At a public forum held by the Grundy County Commission on August 1st, County Clerk Betty Spickard said that, after talking to legal counsel, it was determined the funding source should be in the ballot language. However, the funding source of a property or a sales tax was not provided on the petition submitted to her office on July 15th. The property tax could have a maximum of 30 cents on $100 of assessed valuation, and a sales tax could have a maximum of one-half of one percent.
Spickard reported she was told she could reject the petition based on incorrect ballot language. It could also be rejected based on a lack of signatures, which she said would not happen.
Ambulance Employee Jenny Hunter previously reported there were around 780 signatures on the petition. Spickard noted on August 1st that 442 signatures would be required based on 10% of the registered voters for the November 2018 election.
Hunter said she would redo the petition for the April election.
Spickard commented she would inquire if she needed a court order to not put the measure on the ballot.
County Commissioner Don Sager suggested the new petition also include language about the formation of a board of directors for the ambulance district.
Spickard noted that, if voters approved a measure that would establish an ambulance district, the district would go into effect one week later. The district would not have to have a board immediately, and it would have 90 days to hold a special election to form a board. Sager commented the district would have to pay for that special election.
Sager noted Grundy County had been turned in on a sunshine law violation in the last week, and it was now under the scrutiny of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
The county could not give money to the district. That would include funds from the current sales tax to support the ambulance department because it is a general sales tax. Spickard said the tax could also not be repealed. The money generated from that sales tax is about $520,000.
County Commissioner Brad Chumbley said that money from the tax has gone to ambulance and public safety in the time he has been a commissioner, and that included in the last two budgets. He was elected as a commissioner in November 2019.
Sager noted $600,000 of that tax money this year went to fund a 911 system for the county. However, that will not pay for all of the system.
The county would have to go out to bid on ambulances and other equipment, and the ambulance district could bid to get them back. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray noted the county would also have to determine how much to charge the ambulance district for use of 911 services.
The commission previously said the equipment and the one point four seven million dollars ($1.47 million) in the financial reserve would be transferred from the county to the ambulance district.
Chumbley said he would want things transferred to the district at the lowest possible cost. He does not want to set up things to fail.
Hunter asked if Grundy County would be willing to lease equipment for $1. Sager said the county would need to check with legal counsel.
Ray said he would call other ambulance districts to compare budgets. There was $1.7 million budgeted by the county for the ambulance department this year. He noted the budget was on track for this year.
Sager said he thinks the ambulance district measure would pass if it was put on the ballot.
Ambulance employees’ pay and schedules were also discussed.
Ambulance Employee Steve Tracy said if he was able to work 2,080 hours per year at the same rate of pay, it would be a raise and better than the current schedule with overtime figured in.
Chumbley commented some ambulance employees previously said they would quit if their schedule was changed. They currently work a schedule of 48 hours on and 96 hours off. It was previously said the county budgeted for 2,080 hours of straight time for employees and 840 overtime hours.
A few ambulance employees commented that if they had to drive more to get to and from work, it would cost them more.
Sager noted the county commission asked for a new potential schedule, but it did not get one.
Ambulance Director Sarah Porter said when she received a “stark” reaction from employees, that ended the conversation. However, she was willing to create new potential schedules if employees would be open to change.
Sager acknowledged that the ambulance would never completely get rid of overtime hours.
Ray said he would like feedback on the difference between starting pay and the pay of senior employees. The feedback would be through Porter. It was previously reported the starting pay for emergency medical technicians is $11.50 per hour and $14.50 per hour for full-time paramedics.
Ambulance Employee Rusty Stamper suggested having Porter call to see how many prospects Grundy County Ambulance would have if they were paid $25 per hour.
Chumbley reported the county started giving part-time ambulance employees $1 more per hour with the last budget. Spickard noted part-time employees can only work up to 1,000 hours.
Stamper said part-time employees do not have their insurance paid. He commented that other ambulance services give more benefits to employees, in general, than Grundy County does.
Ray said he wanted to make a transition successful and as seamless as possible if voters approved the formation of a Grundy County Ambulance District. He commented it was the job of the county commission to make the best of any situation.
