Greene County Ambulance Service: A History of County Funding, Agreements, and Recent Developments
The Greene County ambulance service has a long history of public support and cooperation between Greene County and Boyd Memorial Hospital. Because emergency medical services are essential to the health and safety of our residents, it is important for the public to understand how this arrangement began, what the agreements required, how funding has changed over time, and why the county and hospital have reached a disagreement over the future of the service.
The following information outlines that history based on the events, agreements, and funding figures described below.
1. How the County Ambulance Service Began
In 1978, Greene County voters overwhelmingly approved a resolution authorizing the Greene County Board to levy a tax of up to $0.25 per $100 of assessed taxable property value to support a county emergency ambulance service.
This vote established a local funding mechanism for providing emergency ambulance services to Greene County residents.
The tax was approved specifically to help fund this essential public service.
2. Boyd Memorial Hospital Assumes Management in 1999
In 1999, the Greene County Board approached Boyd Memorial Hospital and requested that the hospital manage the county's ambulance service.
During discussions, Joe Nord explained that the county had authority to levy a tax of up to $0.25 for ambulance expenses. He also explained that if additional funding were needed beyond the amount authorized, a referendum would be required, and that an anticipation warrant could be issued if expenses exceeded tax collections.
Boyd Memorial Hospital subsequently assumed responsibility for managing the ambulance service, a role it has continued to perform since that time.
An agreement between the county and the hospital established responsibilities for both parties.
The 1999 agreement included the following provisions:
County funding: The county would levy the ambulance tax at the maximum rate allowed by law, unless otherwise agreed.
Ambulance locations: The hospital would base at least two ambulances, with one at the hospital and another at a mutually agreed-upon location, such as White Hall or Greenfield.
Maintenance and inspections: The county board would hire an hourly employee to maintain and repair the ambulances and equipment and conduct periodic inspections.
Ambulance building: The county would provide an ambulance building in White Hall.
Insurance: The county would maintain its existing insurance coverage on the ambulances and equipment.
These provisions reflected an arrangement in which the county provided financial and other support while the hospital managed the ambulance operation.
3. Changes to the Original Arrangement
Over the years, several aspects of the original arrangement reportedly changed.
According to the information provided, the county's payments to the hospital did not consistently reflect the full amount of ambulance tax funding contemplated by the original arrangement. In addition, the county sold the ambulance building in White Hall, resulting in both ambulances being based in Carrollton.
Having both ambulances in Carrollton raised concerns about response times for emergency calls in the northern part of Greene County.
Other responsibilities described in the 1999 agreement also changed. The county no longer employed a maintenance person for the ambulances and no longer provided insurance coverage on the vehicles.
These changes are important to understanding how the arrangement between the county and hospital evolved.
4. The 2023 Agreement
In 2023, Greene County and Boyd Memorial Hospital entered into a new agreement.
The agreement established a three-year term, with the possibility of extending it for one additional year if neither party chose to terminate the arrangement. It also specified that the agreement could not extend beyond four years.
The agreement again stated that the county board would pay the hospital an amount equal to the annual ambulance tax levy of $0.25.
This funding provision became a central issue in the subsequent discussions between the county and the hospital.
5. A Look at County Payments to Boyd Memorial Hospital
The following figures show the annual payments reported as having been made by Greene County to Boyd Memorial Hospital for ambulance services from 2010 through 2026.
2010 - $310,000
2011 - $342,804
2012 - $340,000
2013 - $353,196
2014 - $353,196
2015 - $353,196
2016 - $353,196
2017 - $353,196
2018 - $353,196
2019 - $353,196
2020 - $353,196
2021 - $450, 000
2022 - $450,000
2023 - $500,000
2024 - $500,000
2025 - $493,000
2026 - $230,000
In addition to the annual payments listed above, the county reportedly paid Boyd Memorial Hospital an additional $118,170 in 2021 to address underpayments covering the years 2010 through 2020.
The payment history shows that the reported annual amount increased to $450,000 in 2021, reached $500,000 in 2023 and 2024, and then declined to $493,000 in 2025.
For 2026, the reported amount was reduced to $230,000.
That represents a reduction of $263,000 from the 2025 payment.
These figures document changes in county payments. To understand fully how those payments compare with the ambulance tax collected each year, residents would need to review the county's annual ambulance levy, actual tax collections, expenditures, and any applicable contractual adjustments.
6. The December 2025 Funding Dispute
In December 2025, Boyd Memorial Hospital received a letter from the county advising that funding for ambulance services would be reduced by approximately $263,000 from the previous year.
The hospital met with the county board and explained that the proposed funding level would not cover the cost of operating the ambulance service.
The hospital requested that the county reconsider the reduction and continue funding the service at a level comparable to the preceding five years of which the county board declined.
This created a fundamental disagreement: the county proposed a substantially lower payment, while the hospital maintained that the amount offered was insufficient to sustain ambulance operations.
7. The January 28, 2026, Discussion
During a meeting on January 28, 2026, Boyd Memorial Hospital informed the county board that it would not enter into a new agreement unless the parties negotiated a specific dollar amount and included it in the contract.
The hospital's position was that a clearly stated funding commitment was necessary to determine whether it could financially continue providing the service.
The hospital and county board agreed to revisit negotiations in August 2026.
8. The August 26, 2026, Proposal
On August 26, 2026, Boyd Memorial Hospital met with the county board and presented a proposal for a new ambulance service agreement.
The hospital requested:
Annual funding of .25 tax levy, which was reduced to $550,000 after discussions with the Board
A 4% annual increase to help account for rising operating costs, supplies, and other expenses.
The proposal was intended to establish a specific funding amount rather than leave the hospital's payment uncertain from year to year.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the hospital understood that the county board would respond with a counterproposal. However, the hospital did not receive the county's decision until October 8, 2026, during their regular monthly meeting.
At that time, the hospital was informed that the county would not accept its proposal and was given the alternative of accepting the reduced funding amount or having the county seek bids for ambulance services.
The hospital maintained that it could not cover the cost of operating the ambulance service with the proposed annual payment of $230,000.
9. Notice Regarding the Agreement
Because the hospital and county had not reached an agreement on future funding, Boyd Memorial Hospital provided notice to the county board that it would not allow the existing contract to renew automatically for another year.
The notice followed the hospital's stated position that it could not commit to continued ambulance operations without an agreed-upon funding amount sufficient to cover the service's operating costs.
This action reflects the unresolved disagreement between the two parties over how the ambulance service should be funded and managed going forward.
The notice should not be interpreted that ambulance service has ended. Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital will continue to operate until the end of the contract date of November 9, 2026.
10. Why This Matters to Greene County Residents
Emergency ambulance services are an important part of public safety. The decisions made about funding, staffing, ambulance locations, equipment, and service agreements can affect the availability and delivery of emergency medical care throughout Greene County.
There are several important questions for residents to consider:
Response times: How are ambulance locations affecting response times, particularly in northern Greene County?
Contractual responsibilities: Which responsibilities belong to the county and which belong to the hospital under the existing and previous agreements?
Future service: What arrangements will ensure reliable ambulance coverage if the county and hospital cannot reach a new agreement?
County Funds: Should county tax dollars be expended to Corporate offices outside of Greene County?
Hospital Survival: Does an outside company have the same level of support for the Hospital as a Hospital based service?
These are reasonable questions for citizens to raise with their elected county officials.
Conclusion: The Need for Transparency and a Sustainable Plan
Since voters approved the ambulance tax in 1978, Greene County has relied on a locally funded system to support emergency ambulance services. Since 1999, Boyd Memorial Hospital has managed the service under agreements with the county.
Over time, the parties' arrangements and reported funding levels have changed. In 2025 and 2026, their disagreement became more pronounced when the county proposed a substantial reduction in funding and the hospital requested a fixed annual amount that it believed would cover operating expenses.
The central issue is how Greene County can provide dependable emergency ambulance services while establishing a funding arrangement that is financially sustainable, clearly documented, and accountable to taxpayers.
The goal should be to ensure that citizens receive quick and quality response to emergency situations. No Service can be as good as a local service where neighbors and friends are caring for neighbors and friends.
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