EMS: Jo Daviess County board creates oversight commission for special service districts

GALENA–Emergency medical services have been under the microscope in Jo Daviess County.

On Tuesday, March 12, the Jo Daviess County Board approved a resolution to create oversight commissions to the four active special service areas. Special service areas are the taxing districts used by the county to help fund EMS agencies.

John Hay, state’s attorney, said the creation of the commissions would give the county greater control and oversight over ambulance agencies. The current setup, said Hay, is not in the spirit of the state statute.

“The way we currently have the special areas set up,”said Hay, “I don’t think it’s really the way the statute intends for.”

Hay said he was concerned over confusion about what entity controls the special service area. He said the county board has all authority over special service areas.

“(The statute) makes very clear the governing body is the county board itself,” said Hay. “Part of the concern I’ve had, I think there’s been some confusion in that the ambulance board is the special service area; they are not.”

Hay further clarified the county’s role.

“The county is the special service area,” said Hay. “The county creates the special service area, the county collects the taxes and the county decides what to do with those special service area funds.”

The recommendation for the commissions comes from the statute, said Hay.

“I think we need to set it up so we are in compliance with the statute,” said Hay.

Greater oversight is an advantage  for the county board, said Hay, and used Hanover Ambulance as an example. Hanover Ambulance notified the county board of its intention to dissolve. Elizabeth, Galena and Savanna EMS have covered the Hanover district since Hanover surrendered its license in 2018.

“This will give the county more oversight in the process,” said Hay. “We’ve seen some issues and concerns with some of the ambulance boards. I’m sure we all know the Hanover Ambulance board may not be in existence. If these commissions were in place, the county board could use those funds to sign a service contract with any service provider they deem appropriate.”

In a letter to the county board, Hay recommends that no funds should be distributed to the Hanover Ambulance board. The county should, instead, sign a contract with Elizabeth and Galena’s ambulance boards, wrote Hay.

Hanover Ambulance currently has signed contracts with Elizabeth and Galena EMS. Hay recommended it should be the county holding service contracts with Elizabeth and Galena, not Hanover.

Each special service area provider should have a contract with the county, said Hay. That would allow the county to contract with a different provider if the current provider is not meeting its contractual obligations.

According to the approved motion, each commission will have five members: four county board members and one homestead property owner from each respective service area. There are four special service areas: 1, Warren Ambulance; 2 and 4, Elizabeth Ambulance; 5, Hanover Ambulance; and 6, Galena Ambulance.

Hay said the advantage of this configuration is county board members on the commissions would receive a great deal of experience and amass a large knowledge base. Members of ambulance boards are not allowed to serve on the county commissions.

Within the contracts with individual service providers, Hay said the county could add stipulations such as the ambulance provider must have a full-time paramedic or fully comply with the Open Meetings Act.

The board unanimously approved to create four, five-member special service area commissions. Each commission will have five members, with four county board members and one homestead property owner from each special service area.