Increasing EMS fees, considering other options for providing a county transportation program and rebidding the fee for the disposal of garbage hauled to the transfer station are being looked at by Jackson County manager Kevin Poe during the budget process.
In a Jackson County Board of Commissioners work session Tuesday morning to review the proposed $63.6 million budget, Poe outlined those three areas as possible impacts on the budget.
A final vote on the budget and millage rate will be held at a called meeting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, at the courthouse. The proposed millage rate is 9.87 mills for incorporated areas of the county and 8.61 mills for unincorporated areas of the county. That is a .020 mill increase in the incorporated area. There is no proposed change for the unincorporated area.
For the full story, see the Sept. 26 issue of The Jackson Herald.
If the people who called an ambulance actually needed an ambulance there would be no problem with the current rate. The way it is now all the medicaid abusers call 911 for a toothache and ride to the hospital. Athens Regional First Care calls 911 for transport several times a day because the doctors are incompetent. This combined with all the other emergency and non-emergency calls for service places a huge demand on the county service. Medicare and Medicaid under the "wonderful" obamacare failure of a plan pay less and less. Therefore, the paying customers are forces to pay more because of those who are too sorry to pay. Thank the system and the president, don't blame the service.
Most people, particularly in "red" states that receive more in federal tax dollars than they contribute, would be better served by reigning in local spending. Instead, they blindly support anyone with an "R" next to their name on the ballot.
Wake up, America!