To the Citizens of McDonough County, Ambulance service is one of the most essential services provided to the people of McDonough County. Every resident, whether living in Macomb, a smaller community, or a rural area, depends on the assurance that emergency medical help will be available when needed.
As county leaders and residents discuss the future of ambulance funding, one concern has become increasingly important: fairness.
Many residents in smaller communities have raised a valid concern that under some funding proposals they could end up contributing twice, once through township support and again through town contributions. That concern deserves careful attention.
A more balanced solution may be a shared countywide model where: the county provides backbone support for rural coverage and system readiness, the hospital contributes because ambulance service directly supports emergency care and patient services, the City of Macomb participates separately due to its larger population, higher call volume, and greater system use, and townships provide modest household-based participation that includes both rural residents and residents of smaller communities equally.
Under this approach, smaller towns would not be asked to make separate additional municipal payments on top of township participation. This helps avoid unfair double-paying concerns while still ensuring everyone contributes fairly toward maintaining emergency ambulance service.
The goal is not to place a larger burden on any one community, but instead to create a stable, long-term system where responsibility is shared fairly across the county.
Ambulances serve everyone, regardless of town boundaries, and a successful system will require cooperation from all parts of McDonough County.
Most importantly, when someone calls 911, whether in town or in the countryside, help must be available quickly and reliably.
That shared protection is something all of us depend on.
Respectfully, Jere Greuel Industry
