Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The news cycle hit big recently with the question of whether city and county governments would privatize EMS services. 

While Winchester Mayor JoEllen Reed and fellow City Commissioners have confirmed that the city will not vote to privatize, questions at the county level are still active. 

On the morning of Friday, July 18, current Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates – who also sits on the Joint EMS Committee – published on his Facebook page a letter personally written. 

The text is provided below: 

“Dear Friends, 

Considering the recent discussions, both in committee meetings and online surrounding EMS service in the county, I feel compelled to elaborate, and give my thoughts on the subject in the interest of transparency. 

The City of Winchester sent the Clark County Fiscal Court an estimated budget amount totaling $1,460,035 for the county’s portion of the Joint EMS services for the next fiscal year. The City and County have successfully worked together and have split the costs of EMS for 30 years. 

Some of your magistrates are considering privatizing the EMS service for Clark County because of cost, and hiring a company from Eastern Kentucky who only provides Basic Life Support, and who admitted that on occasion, there would only be one ambulance in the county. This would replace the three dedicated and staffed Advanced Life Support ambulances we currently enjoy. I believe this to be a poor choice that would endanger the lives of Clark County residents. 

Currently {sic} Clark County is in financial distress due to a lack of liquidity. Because of the county’s financial distress, the City of Winchester has magnanimously offered to cover the entire cost of the long-term capital purchases totaling $1,260,681, of which the county would have been responsible for $491, 655. They did this to better serve and protect all the citizens of Clark County. This brings the county’s projected contribution down to $968,370. 

Our approved budget amount for EMS is $750,000. I’ve spoken with Jailer Frank Doyle, and he has agreed to postpone indefinitely $172,379 in capital improvements to help make up the difference between our portion of the operating costs of EMS, and the approved budget amount. Now we only need to find $46,370 to ensure that the citizens of Clark County will continue to have Advanced Life Support services. The Jailer is also thinking of the health, life and safety of all the citizens of Clark County. 

Now the Fiscal Court needs to do its part and simply accept this gift from the City of Winchester and Jailer Frank Doyle.

We owe it to the citizens of Clark County to make the right choice, the responsible and moral choice. To do otherwise would undermine the trust that the citizens of Clark County have bestowed upon this Fiscal Court. 

Simply put, if the Fiscal Court makes a poor decision now, after the generosity shown by the City and Jailer Doyle, we will have created a dangerous situation, where people’s lives could be at stake. 

Respectfully, 

Les Yates 

Clark County Judge Executive”

The next meeting of the Joint EMS Committee is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 14, at 5:00 p.m.