District No. 11 patrons need to understand that their best allies may soon be the two county commissioners they revile the most, Don Edmonds and Dave Christy. And here’s why.

One has to lay awake a long time to wrestle with the question: Why would anyone not want District 11 ambulance service to exist, thrive, and be a helpmate to the county service when needed? What kind of skullduggery is afloat that would cause someone to create hard feeling and destroy what has been a good working relationship for many years?

We know Francis Grollmes has always pleaded with everyone to work to get along and stands pat behind the District 11. He’s been a commissioner for a quite awhile and, wanting to keep his job, he has tried to disassociate himself from those who would do the district harm.

That only leaves two people in the room to point to. If one has an agenda, how did they get teamed up? But teamed up they are and now that can be a benefit. And here’s how.

Two things have surfaced that on the face of it probably have nothing to do with what’s behind the deception and trickery but can mold the fracas to District 11’s advantage: upgrading the service and money.

First the money. Municipal ambulances do not make money or they would be in the hands of private enterprise. They are either operated by a government entity or subsidized by one. So, when someone claims that the county ambulance service is only after the money generated by District 11 business, they do not understand the economics.

District 11 business would only cause them to lose more money than they are now. If this were not true, the county could not justify taxing people up to 2 mills, raking in more than $260,000 in tax money each year to keep what they have afloat.

District 11 banks a considerable amount of money because it operates on volunteers, paying out very little in wages. What insurance money it can collect will go to buy another ambulance someday, made much easier than the first two that were purchased strictly out of donations. It took a lot of memorial money from funerals and bake sales. Not one cent in tax money has been used.

So here’s the deal for Mr. Edmonds and Mr. Christy to ponder. They have stated they want District 11 to be upgraded to the county standards, which means having a paramedic on staff. Given the fact that District 11 has made as many as 200 runs a year or more saving Jefferson County countless thousands in tax dollars and while the county has collected the tax money from District 11 but provided little if any service, should leave something in the cash drawer to provide an annual grant or stipend to help the district keep a paramedic on duty.

What a magnanimous gesture that would be and how easily it would be to forget this whole sordid mess and get back to saving lives.

CLICK HERE FOR TOWN CRIER ARCHIVES