The Chester County Budget Committee met Tuesday, April 21, in the Chester County Board of Education board room. Six county offices presented their yearly budgets.
The first office to present was Soil Conservation, which had no changes, and the committee was pleased with this budget.
The Health Department’s only increase in their budget was to raise the salary of their janitorial services from $400 to $800 monthly. This is to show appreciation to their servicer, who has been cleaning the department for over 20 years, and to ensure that the recent renovations stay in good shape. The committee was pleased with this budget.
The Judge’s Office, Juvenile Court, Property Assessment, and Accounting and Budgeting had nothing of note within their budgets, and the committee has no further comments on them.
The last to present was Medical Center EMS. In order not to operate at such a severe loss as usual, the EMS asked for a 41% budget increase. MedCenter reported a potential grant which may provide a new ambulance and new legislation helping to pay for ambulance uses, the rising cost of living and other world events are hitting them hard. They made it clear that they are not out to make money from anything, as they are a not-for-profit organization, but they are operating at a severe deficit. While services have not been dismissed, the committee is looking into a more affordable option for emergency services in the county.
