While a special committee contemplates the future of Sumter County ambulance services, the proposed 2021-22 county budget would transfer emergency medical dispatching from American Medical Response (AMR) to the county and eliminate the company’s $1.2 million annual subsidy.
The proposed budget calls for no property tax increase, but would boost overall expenditures by nearly 10 percent. Sumter County commissioners will begin reviewing the proposed budget next week. Public hearings are planned in September with final adoption later that month.
AMR, a large national company, has provided ambulance services in Sumter County for the past five years since it acquired Rural Metro, which provided the services since 2011. AMR’s contract with the county expires on Oct. 1, 2022.
The company receives patient fee and insurance proceeds for ambulance transports and other revenue through two new programs that allow treatment at the scene for Medicare patients and transport alternatives through a nurse navigator. The subsidy covered its dispatching services.
AMR has come under fire this year for ambulance delays of an hour or more on some 911 calls. In May, Sumter County commissioners appointed the five-member Ad Hoc Fire, EMS and Medical Transport Committee to study ambulance services and make recommendations to improve them. At a committee meeting this week, AMR officials blamed the delays on staffing shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
County Administrator Bradley Arnold said the pending expiration of AMR’s contract prompted the proposed move to shift emergency medical services dispatching to county employees. He said the county owns the space and equipment.
The proposed budget calls for hiring 16 public safety dispatchers, four supervisors, a training supervisor and an emergency communications manager.
Other new county positions next year would be a public information officer, two public communications specialists, a veterinarian and a veterinary technician. The county would end outsourcing of veterinary services for neutering, spaying and vaccinations due to the volume of animals handled by the animal services department.
The added positions will bring the county work force to 241 full-time and three part-time employees.
Next year’s property tax rate would be $6.24 per $1,000 assessed valuation, which is at the rolled-back rate. The rolled-back rate is the amount needed to collect the same level of taxes as the previous year excluding new construction.
Due to growth, Sumter County would collect $90.4 million in property taxes next year, up from $85.7 million during the current fiscal year. Property taxes are the largest of the county’s 76 revenue sources.
Total expenditures of $265.1 million would be 9.65 percent higher than this year’s adopted budget of $241.7 million.
State shared revenues were cut during the pandemic, but a construction boom is fueling recovery. From July 1, 2020, through June 30 this year, Sumter County processed 3,207 residential and 117 commercial building permits. Included in the commercial permits were 19 for multi-family housing.
Although a 70 percent road impact fee increase was overturned by state law, the county will benefit from another state law that requires out-of-state companies to pay tax on sales in Florida even if they have no physical presence here. The change is expected to generate about $230 million for local governments statewide.
The capital project budget would decrease by 35 percent to $16.7 million due to the completion of several building projects. The county would replace its obsolete vehicle and handheld radios with five-year, no-interest financing from Motorola.
The federal America Rescue Plan Act is expected to provide about $25 million to Sumter County for capital expenditures such as broadband, water and sewer service.
