WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Williamson County leaders are examining potential cuts and funding solutions for the county's ambulance service as operational costs continue to rise.
Williamson Health is asking the county for an additional $5 million in taxpayer money to offset costs, bringing the total request to $13.5 million.
"Reimbursement of ambulances is, to say the least, not desirable," Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said.
"We’ve identified the problem, and there are many others that need to be investigated," Anderson said.
Anderson said he was not surprised when hospital leaders failed to trim their ambulance costs by 5%. He noted a significant portion of the funds pays for ambulance runs to the Maury County side of Spring Hill.
"About 55, 58% of our calls in Spring Hill are on the Maury County side so that’s a large sum of money," Anderson said. "We’re not required to offer service to Maury County...No decision has been made yet, but we’re looking at ways we can continue operating our ambulance in Williamson County and at least try to help the hospital break even."
To cover the expenses, Anderson mentioned the possibility of a new fee.
"The law does allow you to charge a healthcare tax fee," Anderson said. "We’ve never used that, we’d prefer not to do that, but we have to find a solution to it."
I spoke with people on the Franklin Square about their thoughts on a potential emergency service fee. They said it is an important service, but they are wary of how much it could cost their households.
"It’s also about quality of life and safety for you, me, our children and grandchildren," Anderson said.
Williamson Health released a statement saying it plans to continue its longstanding agreement to provide ambulance service, a partnership that began in 1972. The hospital noted that Tennessee law requires each county to ensure emergency medical services are provided and funded.
At this week's County Budget Committee meeting, commissioners approved the county's EMS funding for the upcoming contract year, which begins July 1, 2026. The funding is now subject to full Commission approval.
Anderson said the funding issue does not factor into any potential conversations to sell the hospital.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
