This will be the last article I can submit to The Times before the Feb. 11 election concerning the establishment of a rural Emergency Medical Services District No. 2 (EMSDNo. 2) and collecting an $85 per residence fee to pay for the cities to provide ambulance service to it. This is being referred to the voters in the affected area as a result of a referendum petition by those who feel the quorum court should have put it to a vote of the people in the first place.
Hopefully everyone has had adequate opportunity to discuss, read about, research and otherwise be informed to cast a vote on Feb. 11. The true tragedy in this, and any similar situation, occurs when only a few people actually vote and the decision proves to be irreversible. We saw in the vote increasing the fee in NEBCOs EMSD No. 1, that the increase passed by only four votes. Hopefully in this election the turnout will be substantial enough that regardless of the outcome, the majority of the registered voters will have participated in the decision. Whatever your view, please go to the polls and, when needed, assist those who need help finding their polling place or need a ride to the polls.
The ballot will have a single issue and a "yes" vote will be to establish the district and charge the $85 fee as described in Ordinance 0-2013-68. A "no" vote is to reject the ordinance and ask the quorum court to find another solution to the rural area ambulance service. It is a bit confusing, but the ballot title mentions only the establishment of the EMSD. It does not mention the collection of the $85 fee on the property tax bill.
Details of the voting locations by precinct have been published and can also be found on the Benton County official website, www.bentoncountyar.gov, or by calling the county clerk's office at 271-1013. Your precinct number should be on your voter registration card. Voting precincts 14, 28, 29, 33 and 58 are listed as voting at First Baptist Church, Pea Ridge, 1650 Slack St., Pea Ridge, but it is wisest to check either the county clerk's website or another source to be sure if you are in doubt. Only 15 polling sites will be used across the entire county for this election. If you have access to a computer, the county clerk's website has a special section under the "featured section" pertaining to this election and may assist if you need more information.
The meeting in the Pea Ridge community room at the Pea Ridge Fire station hosted by District 6 Justice of the Peace Pat Adams last week was well attended. The number 80 was thrown out, but whether that was the exact attendance, I do not know. There were certainly plenty of questions and it appears there will be a lot of questions still unanswered when we go to the polls on Feb. 11. I came away from the meeting feeling they are trying to convince us there are no alternatives to the fee and meeting the cities demands. I, for one, am not convinced. It is the most expedient means of dealing with the issue as far as the county judge and the quorum court are concerned. They might have to review the budget if the vote rejects their ordinance.
No one has answered my question about how many fire trucks the county owns and which fire departments have them ? Are any of them in the cities that are requesting the ambulance fees ? Fire protection insurance fees are lowered by improved fire departments and lower fire ratings, doesn't that mean anything in this equation? How much money is the county budgeting for fire trucks this year ?
As the deciders in this election, those of us who are eligible are going to have to make the best decision we can with many areas unresolved. Can someone who is elected county-wide with about 75 percent of the voters inside of the city limits (the majority of those in the seven cities seeking the subsidies) adequately represent the rural area and risk upsetting the mayors of the cities? The mayors can't make too much of an issue and expect to get re-elected. The county judge, and not the Quorum Court, apparently has handled all the negotiating with the cities. But the Quorum Court passed the ordinance we are voting on.
The Quorum Court has 15 members and I was told only five represent areas with large rural constituents. Those from the cities will benefit from the rural area subsidizing the cities' ambulance services which are tied to the fire departments and that creates a potential conflict, in my thinking.
As voters, we must decide if this never ending fee is the best way to pay for the ambulance service or if another way of providing service would be a better long-term solution. Because the quorum court can raise the fee with a simple majority vote, the cities have no restriction on how much they require. Would setting up a county rural voluntary service be better than being tied to the cities? How long would that take if the same emphasis was placed on that approach as was placed on this one ?
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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. He is a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Editorial on 02/05/2014