KINGWOOD – On Tuesday, Preston County commissioners tabled the final vote for the new EMS ordinance to give attorneys time to review the latest changes. The final vote was originally scheduled for their April 28 meeting.
Several members of the public questioned the need for the EMS fee.
“Where did all of the funds go that you got last year,” Harley Wiley asked. “We have to pay for that?”
Commissioner Samantha Stone explained that the commission doesn’t own and operate the EMS at this time. She said they are currently working on a county-governed EMS. Stone said the county does occasionally provide emergency funding, but doesn’t currently have the money to fully fund EMS.
“Billing and reimbursement (from private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid) doesn’t provide enough to keep the EMS service going,” Commission President Hunter Thomas said. “The majority of the calls are Medicare or Medicaid.”
Commissioner Don Smith said Medicaid and Medicare only pay about 40% of a bill that is submitted to them.
“A lot of people are struggling and you’re going to add more stress on them,” Steven Riley said. “People can’t make it as it is now.”
William Warnick said a local TV station reported that commissioners said the ordinance was going to improve response time. He cited road conditions and the difficulty of getting to some areas of the county.
“What is the EMS director’s payscale? Do you pay the paramedics and the ambulance drivers? I am concerned about this operation.”
Stone said she knew response time across the county was not what it should be. She said the new system would improve ambulance response.
“The new ambulance (an ambulance run by the county) will be doing the transport from hospitals. This will keep the other squads free to respond to emergencies,” Stone said.
She said the commission has no control over what agencies pay their employees. Stone said the ordinance would help with the control over payscale.
Crystal Huffman asked if the county was going to apply for grants if they took over the EMS. She also questioned the fee.
Stone said the commission held six public meetings and not many county residents attended with exception of the meeting at Big Bear Lake. She said commissioners did not want to charge a fee but had no choice. Stone said there could come a time when the fee would be discontinued or lowered.
“We started with a $165 fee and we worked hard to get it down to $90,” she said.
“I would ask everyone to reach out to their representatives and lobby for funds for EMS,” Thomas said. “We can only do what we can do.”
County resident Paul Felton asked about voting on the EMS fee. He also asked why he should have to pay a $60 fee on a recreational vehicle that is sitting on his own land for 5 months out of the year, and why couldn’t the commission use some of the opioid funds for EMS.
Thomas said the EMS Fee is one that is only voted on by members of the commission and is not placed on a ballot. He said the opioid funds are very restricted in what they can be used for. Thomas said a small part of the money was being put in areas where it is believed it will help the most.
“Why is billing going to the landlord for both homes and businesses?” Robin Goodwin asked. “”I have five year leases with businesses in my buildings and with renters.”
“Living quarters are assessed to the owner. Business assessments are sent to the businesses. We don’t have information for rental units. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the only achievable way for rentals,” Thomas said.
From left, Preston County Commissioner Don Smith, Commission President Hunter Thomas, Amanda Blosser of NYAP and Commissioner Samantha Stone pose after the commissioners presented a proclamation to Blosser for Foster Care Awareness Month.
In other business, commissioners proclaimed May as Foster Care Awareness Month. The proclamation was presented to commissioners by Amanda Blosser of the National Youth Advocate Program. The proclamation stressed that children and youth are the most valuable resource of the State of West Virginia and that every child deserves a safe, stable and nurturing home. It recognized the resilience, strength and potential of children and youth in foster care throughout West Virginia and says there are hundreds of children and youth in need of safe, loving and supportive foster families.
For more information about foster care and The National Youth Advocate Program, visit www.nyap.org/west-virginia or call 304-366-5832.
Commissioners went into executive session but no action was taken.
The next meeting of the Preston County Commission will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
