Rainy day at JEMS

With the Jay Emergency Medical Services fund heading towards the red, the Jay County Council dug into its rainy day fund Thursday for $300,000 to hold the department over until June tax draws.

The JEMS fund has dwindled down to $60,505 as of Jan. 31, and with the average two-week payroll totaling about $30,000, the council had few options except dig into its savings.

Last month, the council agreed to spot the JEMS budget about $78,000 out of its rainy day fund after the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance rejected the department's budget.

"The big thing is payroll," said councilwoman Marilyn Coleman of the JEMS budget.

More than 85 percent of the JEMS $1 million budget is tied up in personnel costs.

Financial consultant Greg Guerrettaz will meet with JEMS administrators next week and will attempt to locate places where the department can increase revenue to erase annual shortfall. In 2008, JEMS spent $95,000 more than it made and $203,000 in 2009.

The JEMS budget is supported by both money gathered through taxation and by income made from services rendered. For 2010, the department's total budget is $1,001,794.44.

In 2009, JEMS budgeted about $994,000 for the year. The department, however, only brought in about $773,500 total, with $393,784.81 collected through property taxes and $345,218.71 from service charges.

During January's meeting, Jay County auditor Nancy Culy said tax revenue supporting JEMS dropped about $100,000. The department raised some of its service rates last year, but the shortfall remains.

JEMS director Teresa Foster-Geesaman said at last month's meeting that the department is collecting on about 80 percent of total charges issued, which she said was "good" for ambulance services.

The council is ideally hoping for a fix to the problem without having to cut employees and without the department requiring support from other county funds other than the JEMS tax revenue.

However, even if Guerrettaz does find ways to increase JEMS revenue, the effect may not redeem the fund until the end of the year or beyond.

"We fought for a long time to get paramedics in this county," said councilman Mike Leonhard of the JEMS personnel. He said he wouldn't want to backtrack by losing those skilled employees.

"We knew it was a (money) losing situation," Jay County Commissioner Milo Miller, who presented the problem to the council Thursday night, said regarding the addition of paramedics.

"This is a service that doesn't make you money," councilman Gary Theurer agreed.

County auditor Nancy Culy said without the $300,000, the fund would only have enough money for one more payroll disbursement.

The council approved the $300,000 transfer and will await the results from Guerrettaz's analysis of the department.

In other business Thursday night, the council:

•Approved an appropriation of $3,000 to the surveyor's budget to pay for uniforms. County surveyor Brad Daniels said the figure was accidentally left out of his budget and was not noticed until he attempted to pay for uniform service.

•Approved appropriations of $5,800.50 and $2,675.64 for Jay Superior Court to add money from the substance abuse program and a translator grant, respectively, into the court's budget.

•Approved an appropriation of $70,000 to the cumulative bridge fund to cover increased cost of annual bridge inspections. County engineer Dan Watson said the cost nearly doubled, but that the federal government will refund 80 percent of the inspection cost.

•Approved an appropriation of $800 for Operation Pullover, to cover wages for officers working overtime as part of the project.

•Approved a transfer of $375 to purchase a new office chair for the auditor's office.

•Approved a transfer of $13,310 in the commissioner's budget to purchase a new all-in-one copier and accessories for the auditor's office.

•Approved transfers of $10,000 to the Jay Circuit Court and Jay Superior Court from the county's rainy day fund to cover jury fees. Jury fees were being paid out of a fund that accumulated money through court fees, but the fund is now empty.

Jury fees, while funded through county general fund in the past, were being paid out of a different fund since it has accumulated a substantial amount. The fund was recognized in the past as non-sustainable and officials anticipated the money would eventually need to be funded out of county general again.

•Were informed by Sheriff Ray Newton that he would like to replace two vehicles in his department that have around 150,000 miles apiece on them. The council told Newton to go ahead to speak with commissioners and obtain bids and they would decide later whether to authorize the purchases.[[In-content Ad]]