Officials explain proposed levy
With Election Day looming just over the horizon, voters in Tyler County still have many questions regarding the EMS levy which will once again be present on the ballot.
Failing by a slim margin during the Primary Election in May, officials and supporters are working diligently to ensure that voters throughout the county are able to make an informed decision regarding the levy on Nov. 2.
Patricia Burdette, chief financial officer at Sistersville General Hospital, explained the measure during a meeting of the Tyler County Commission in the hope of getting the message to the public.
According to statistics provided by Burdette on behalf of SGH, the yearly expenses for the Sistersville EMS are in excess of $150,000, a figure which excludes wages and benefits provided to employees. Of these expenses, 37 percent are covered by the EMS levy, with 63 percent of the expenses falling to the hospital.
The amount received from levy funds for the last 12 months was a little more than $59,000, a far cry from the $150,000 needed.
Burdette commented, “Of the $150,000 in expenses, $119,000 is directly related to patient care.”
These costs include the ambulance, medical supplies, medications, minor medical equipment, fuel, repairs t the ambulance, malpractice insurance and maintenance of patient records.
“After reimbursement for services and funds from the ambulance levy, the Sistersville EMS operated at a lost during the last 12 months,” Burdette further explained. “The ambulance service is not a profit-making entity of Sistersville General Hospital.”