Municipalities dispute call counts as Richland County weighs district and levy options for 2026 contracts

Municipal representatives clashed with county staff over how ambulance calls were assigned for contract calculations as the committee discussed service contracts for 2026 and longer‑term funding options.

A representative for Richland Township challenged the list used to compute contract averages, saying calls were assigned to Richland that belong to neighboring townships and that initial contract counts improperly included Pine Valley. "Richland Township should not be paying for Pine Valley," the representative said, noting corrected lists reduced the township’s average calls substantially and that township attorneys were working with the county attorney to sort discrepancies.

County staff and the finance presenter said Barb had performed a line‑by‑line GIS review to reclassify calls but explained older state‑locked records (2021–2023) cannot be changed in the state system. The presenter said the packet supplies separated rows for Town of Richland, county facilities and Pine Valley so municipalities can review the breakout.

On contracts, Speaker 2 said all but three municipality contracts for 2026 had been returned; a final contract is in circulation for 2026 and a different contract form would apply if municipalities form a joint district. The transcript lists four municipalities that were planning district participation: Richland Center, Town of Richland, Town of Henrietta and Boas. Several municipalities have retained counsel and are negotiating terms.

Committee members urged a neutral, outside assessment to evaluate funding models, call‑counts, and regional options. The county chair said a study would be completed and the results brought back to stakeholders before finalizing a longer‑term approach.

What happens next: staff will continue to reconcile call assignments with interested townships; attorneys for holdout municipalities and county counsel will pursue negotiations; and a county‑commissioned assessment/study will be used to inform any district formation or levy decisions.