Should Chester County Charge for Emergency Services?

Laura Schwartz June 25, 2012 at 06:01 pm

Yes, I want more taxes. Keep em coming!

Why The Face June 25, 2012 at 06:38 pm

Chester County provides all the paging, radio and mobile equipment for all Police, Fire & EMS agencies in the county. If the county didn't provide that equipment, it would ultimately be the responsibility of the local township police or fire companies to absorb those huge costs. Considering how little support our fire companies get from their local townships the cost of this equipment would be a huge burden on the Fire & EMS companies that have to beg for donations just to buy this kind of equipment. The current county equipment is over 20 years old and in the very early stages of a much needed overhaul & replacement.
The problem really is the way the County is trying to get the money. The basis for the "fee" being charged to the townships is based off the 2010 census. This of course puts the burden of this fee on only the residents of Chester County. What about the businesses and people who work in Chester County? I'm not sure passing the buck to the townships is the right plan. If the County charges the Townships the fee, then the townships will undoubtedly raise taxes to cover the shortfall despite millions of dollars set aside in reserves. If taxes are going to get raised anyway, why doesn't the county raise their own taxes instead of passing the buck to the townships? Why isn't the county thinking of a more diverse way of obtaining the funding? The need for the funding is sound, however I think the way the County is trying to get the funding is very flawed.

Interested Observer June 25, 2012 at 08:12 pm

Actually, the municipalities are lying. The county has never had the responsibility for this; it was always rhe municipality. Thats why they charge the EST/LST tax and not the county. What happened is the county chose for more than a decade to help the municipalities and take those costs on. Over that time, the munis kept taxing for emergency services and built massive surpluses. Now that the county cant afford to help, the munis are lying. Ask your local official where all that EST/LST tax money went. And tell them u wont be double taxed by them. The county is 100 percent in the right on this.

Reasonable June 25, 2012 at 08:26 pm

Safety is the reason Townships exists. Arts grants & other waste should not come before emergency services. Local politicos like the sexy stuff and are more than willing to cut or complain about their basic emergency services mission. Wrong choices. Do your primary mission first. Then if the public has money left do the sexy stuff

LocalGirl June 25, 2012 at 08:28 pm

I'm fairly certain that the EST/LST tax money has not gone 100% to fire and EMS services, as residents are led to believe...so, where does it go???? General Fund?

A long time member of the Fire Service June 25, 2012 at 11:14 pm

The services provided by Chester County are far superior and more inclusive than any other County. There are many Townships in Chester County that do not have local taxes and do not support their First Responders', but don't hesitate to call on them. Fund drives and donations don't make Fire Service Budgets work anymore. Municipalities have FAILED to comply with the Commonwealth requirement to provide proper and adequate service and to pay for that service. Of the people most impacted by the Fee, the Fire Service gets hit the hardest, of the three groups they are the ONLY ONES that do not have a Revenue Recovery mechanism and are still 85% volunteer, unlike the other providers. You local municipalities won't raise taxes, they take it out of the allocations/budgets of the first responders. It would be easier if the County just increased your County Taxes, but then again, you are letting the local municipalities get away without contributing their fare share, again. No easy resolve but he 9-1-1 system costs money and everyone reading this article uses the system.

NotAChance June 26, 2012 at 02:42 am

And you hit on the key issue in my eyes. The municipalities are going to penalize the emergency services by giving them less money (or, not increasing the amount they receive). In a time when many fire companies/EMS providers are already struggling, this move only serves to give the municipalities one more excuse to avoid supporting them as they should.

Version June 26, 2012 at 02:56 pm

Don't we all pay Chester County for a 911 charge on our phone bills. Where does or has all that money gone!! Also, that $52 that I donate to the township every year, was that not for all these services!!!!

Why The Face June 26, 2012 at 03:24 pm

the 911 fee pays for the phone lines and phone services and reverse activation for the 911 phone number, not the people or equipment in the call center or the radio equipment that needs to be upgraded.
The 52 is a LOCAL emergency services tax that "should" go towards funding emergency services at the township level, however the rules regarding the use of these funds are loose. Most of those funds are sent to the township's own police department and emergency sewer funds than local fire companies or ambulance squads.