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ELKINS – On Thursday afternoon, the Randolph County Commission rescinded the excess levy vote for the Randolph County Ambulance Authority that was approved in August.
The RCC had voted put the levy vote on the November General Election ballot after problems arose with the Special Emergency Ambulance Service Fee Ordinance commissioners approved back in April.
Just after the fee went into effect in July, the County Commission suspended it after the state Tax Department informed commissioners that the fee violated the streamlined sales tax agreement.
At a County Commission meeting in August, Kesling said the RCC learned that it could change the ordinance to a basic flat transaction fee, which would apply to every transaction in the county.
“We met with the EMS Board last week and told them we could pursue a flat transaction fee,” Kesling said during Thursday’s meeting. “The EMS Board didn’t want to do the levy and told us that they would rather pursue the transaction fee. So we reached out last week and had the levy removed from the ballot. So we are rescinding the levy and pursuing the transaction fee.”
Kesling said the County Commission is working on a new fee ordinance that will include the transaction fee. He said he wanted to get local businesses involved and gain their input before the final product was approved.
“We want to make it crystal clear who the transaction fee affects,” Kesling said. “It will not only be for local residents but for everyone who travels into the county. I think it is going to be more fair and we are going to have it reviewed by the attorney general and lawyers before we put it out.”
Kesling said, as with the previous ordinance, all of the money collected from the transaction fee will be sent to the County Commission and distributed to the EMS as needed.
“There is a certain criteria they (EMS) can use the money on,” Kesling said. “We originally started the ordinance because they are about $75,000 short each month of what they need.”
Commissioner Cris Siler said the transaction fee will have some advantages that the levy and original ordinance fee didn’t have.
“With this transaction fee we can get money to the EMS a lot quicker,” Siler said. “The idea is to get EMS where they can fund themselves again. With the transaction fee, we can reduce it at any time or end it when they get back on their feet.
“It’s also going to be a lot easier and a lot less of a headache for the business owners. It’s a flat fee. So if it’s a 10-cent transaction fee, if you buy a loaf of bread at Walmart it’s 10 cents. If you buy a car, it’s 10 cents.”
Due to the levy being pulled off the November ballot, the three meetings the Randolph County Commission had previously scheduled to discuss the planned excess levy have been canceled. Those meetings were set to take place in Elkins, Harman and Mill Creek.
The next Randolph County Commission meeting will be Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m.