Town Hall Meetings Held for Rural Benton County Ambulance Service

Residents of Benton County have the opportunity to learn about a proposal to fund a rural ambulance service by participating in a series of town hall meetings to be held over the next few weeks.

Do you want to get involved? Benton County is building momentum to fund ambulance services in unincorporated areas of the region, and town hall meetings are in place to educate voters, field questions and encourage discussion.

The first town hall meeting was held September 20 in Centerton; the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 2 in the Cave Springs Community Building. The county will ask voters to consider passing one of two proposed plans to raise the necessary revenue for the ambulance service.

On November 4, voters will decide whether to approve the use of the existing emergency services’ infrastructure to provide service to the unincorporated areas. This will cost a total of $1.1 million in 2015 and $1.16 million in 2016, leveling off thereafter.

The two ballot measures call for either a millage or a fee to offset the cost of the additional ambulance coverage areas. These taxes would apply to all residents.

Justice of the Peace for District 4, Tom Allen, believes that having two plans for residents to consider will prove more successful than offering only a single option. Officials are hoping for a strong turnout at Thursday’s town hall and subsequent meetings, and they are spreading the word in an effort to churn up substantial interest.

You have a stake in Benton County’s future, and now is the time to jump in and find out what the rural ambulance service is all about. For anyone who’d like to get involved, our firm would like to encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to educate themselves at the town hall meeting this Thursday at the Cave Springs Community Building at 6:30 p.m.!