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PTC makes case for EMS tax district

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Creating a special tax district in the county to keep Peachtree City residents from paying for county EMS services they don’t receive was the first option recommended by a consulting firm that studied the city’s EMS issues, according to City Manager Bernie McMullen.

City officials have determined citizens are paying about $500,000 a year for EMS services they never receive, McMullen said in a presentation to the City Council at its regular meeting Thursday night.

Consolidating the Peachtree City EMS with the county’s EMS was another option recommended by the consultant, but it was option number four, McMullen added. That action, however, is one recommended by county officials to resolve the issue now that the city’s bid to create the special tax district was rebuffed by the county commission.

Consolidating the two departments would cost the city $602,000 to upgrade equipment and would leave the city being covered by two ambulances instead of the current fleet of three ambulances and one reserve ambulance, McMullen said.

Another solution touted by county officials is the adoption of automatic aid agreements, which would basically double the area Peachtree City EMS units had to cover, McMullen said.

With automatic aid agreements, the closest fire station will respond to a call whether the location is in the county or the city, McMullen explained.

“It doesn’t address the issue of who’s paying for the services,” McMullen said.

In 2001, the county began to use more of its general fund to pay for EMS, going from $605,000 in 2001 to about $1.5 million this year, McMullen said. Also, the number of EMS staffers jumped from 24 to 36 over a three-year period, he added.

Peachtree City’s EMS is funded totally by revenues it receives, McMullen said.

The city budgeted $222,000 in 2004 for its EMS services and received $262,000 in revenue in the same period, McMullen noted.

Mayor Steve Brown said he was surprised at the county commission’s response when it voted not to pursue creating the special tax district for EMS in Peachtree City.

“I never heard a government body admit we were being double taxed in Peachtree City and we’re not receiving the service but they’re not going to do anything about it,” Brown said.

Councilman Steve Rapson inquired whether the county might be in violation of the Georgia Service Delivery Strategy Act, which addresses eliminating duplication of services. City Attorney Ted Meeker replied that he’d have to look at the SDS agreement filed between the county and the city before making a determination on how it affects the EMS situation.