Forward Township formalizes EMS funding distribution process
FORWARD TWP — Supervisors have come to an understanding about how to distribute Local Service Tax revenue to the town’s three emergency medical service providers this year.
Each of the three organizations will receive a payment in July and one in December.
“There'll be half of a payment in July at the July meeting, and then the other payment will be in December at the December meeting,” said township supervisor Mark Wilson at the Tuesday, March 12, meeting.
At the end of 2023, supervisors said they would set aside LST revenue for 2024 and use it as a grant to support its three EMS organizations. At the start of 2024, the board organized a task force to determine how to distribute the funds in an equitable manner.
Compared to other municipalities in Butler County, Forward Township is in a unique position regarding its EMS situation. The township is served by three different providers — Quality EMS, Harmony EMS, and Butler Ambulance Service — each of which serves a different chunk of the territory.
The amount of funding to be distributed to each organization will be proportional to how many residences and businesses are within each organization’s area.
Butler Ambulance Service would receive the largest share, as its area contains 565 residences, followed by Quality with 450 residences and Harmony with 333 residences.
“We received the residence addresses from the 911 Center and were able to determine who served whom,” Wilson said. “And we found there were 1,348 residences or businesses within the township that the 911 Center recognized.”
The township has budgeted for the assumption that it will distribute $28,000 in Local Service Tax revenue, although this is not a final figure. According to township manager Tom Hartwig, the figure is based on recent trends.
“Twenty six dollars per year per person employed in the township, based on past records, and increases in that number annually,” Hartwig said.
With each organization’s distribution weighed proportionally, Butler Ambulance Service would receive $11,735.05, Quality would receive $9,346.50 and Harmony would receive $6,916.41.
“Basically, the task force thought this was the most equitable way of dividing this up,” Wilson said.
