Tax hike may be considered to fund Charles City fire/EMS

A larger crowd attended the most recent Charles City town hall meeting to discuss the county’s manpower shortage when it comes to providing emergency medical service. Close to 40 county residents sat in on the Nov. 20 event, a number well above the half-dozen who showed for October’s inaugural meeting.

But some in attendance indicated more residents must be heard from before a decision is made on how to fix the problem. As County Administrator Jack Miniclier put it, everything is on the table from raising taxes for hiring full or part-time workers to increasing stipends for volunteers, installing high school classes to steer youth in the direction of fire/EMS careers, and even renting ambulances and crews from other localities to provide 24/7 service.

Miniclier announced he plans to present figures and recommendations to the county’s Board of Supervisors on cost-effective means for addressing the situation during the board’s Dec. 15 work session and regular meeting. And county officials may consider scheduling a third town hall meeting to solicit more resident input.

During the Nov. 20 meeting, county assistant fire chief William Byrd complained that too few people were in attendance compared to the number who turned out for a high-power rifle controversy earlier this year.

“You have a gun situation and this place is packed. Here we’re talking about people’s lives,” he said.

At issue is manpower. Charles City’s all-volunteer department numbers about 20. When volunteers’ jobs and other commitments are factored in, the number is insufficient for providing around-the-clock coverage.

Charles City depends heavily on the Providence Forge Volunteer Rescue Squad as well as mutual aid from neighboring localities. From January to September, there have been 499 emergency medical calls in the county with 284 requiring ambulance transport, Miniclier said. Charles City department transports numbered 103 while Providence Forge totaled 99. Henrico responded on 45 occasions while the remainder was split among four other localities.

But Providence Forge is also experiencing the volunteer numbers pinch, and Henrico County officials have served notice their squads will no longer assist Charles City except in calls demanding life support. That leaves Charles City with a dilemma that may have to be solved with a real estate tax increase.

“From my perspective, the county is ready to step up and put up some money, but reality is finding manpower,” Miniclier said.

“It seems we’re going to have to spend some money,” said District III Supervisor Timothy Cotman, who sat in on the meeting.

Just to hire part-time emergency workers would cost in the $100,000-$250,000 range, thus requiring a tax hike of 2 to 5 cents, he said. One cent on the county’s current tax rate equates to $55,000.

William “Sonny” Lewis, a former fire chief for the county, and others in attendance said they would not oppose raising taxes, as long as the increase is earmarked for emergency services.

“We’re going to have to bite the bullet,” Lewis told the crowd. “The best thing for us to do is concentrate on getting fulltime paid people and have them work for the county and not the volunteer fire department. As hard as times are now, you’re not going to find volunteers.”

“Are you willing to raise taxes?” Cotman asked Lewis.

“I’ve seen us raise taxes for nothing,” Lewis shot back. “This is for something we need.”

Miniclier, meanwhile, said a 2 to 5 cent tax hike would be just the beginning. Over time, the current tax rate of 82 cents per $100 of assessed value must be raised in order to place crews 24/7 at the county’s three stations and thus lower response times.

“You’re really talking about raising taxes 25 percent to get there all the way and have that full service,” he said, adding an increase that hefty would not be imposed in a single year but spread over several fiscal years.

Miniclier said, however, that county officials expect to be looking at decreasing revenue streams and potential cuts during budget preparations for the next fiscal year.

“We had to cut the budget last year, and there may be more cuts this year,” he told the crowd. “My goal is to not let anybody go and not raise taxes. From my perspective, those two are going to be a very tough go.”