PARSONS, W.Va. — Tucker County Commission President Michael Rosenau says the county needs to be able to have ample ambulance services for its residents and visitors.
The county recently enacted a two percent EMS fee, which did not go over well with those in charge of the Tucker-based Timberline Mountain.
Timberline Mountain Operations, Timberline Property Management, and Valley Scenic View LLC., have filed suit against the county.
State code allows the county to enforce the fee, and the only money generated from the fee can go towards ambulance services.
Rosenau says that, with the 6,500 residents in the county and the hefty number of annual visitors, there is a great need for the service.
“With a million plus guests coming to our county each year, we’re talking lost hikers, we’re talking people that utilize the recreation being hurt, we’re talking about car accidents coming in here. A lost hiker alone can take two or three days to find them,” he continued.
He says without the two percent fee, the county is not in position to keep what it has.
“Right now, we can afford one full time 24/7 and a part-time,” Rosenau told MetroNews. “As of July, of this year, without the 2 percent fee, it would go down to one 24/7 crew.”
Part of a recent quote from Timberline Mountain General Tom Price said that the fee was “unjust” and that “Timberline and other recreational centers are being forced to shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden.”
Rosenau disagrees with that statement.
“I don’t think that’s correct,” Rosenau said. “When you have a million guests coming to your county and there’s only 6,500 residents, I think they should have a stake in the services that they have the potential of using while they’re in our county.
Timberline has said that they have invested in their own emergency medical coverage, which include Advanced Life Support services.
Rosenau wants to stress that businesses like Timberline do not pay this new countywide fee.
“We’re just asking for a fare fee. If a resident uses the service, they pay the fee. If a guest to our county uses the service, they pay the fee. That’s the only thing that we’re asking is everyone pay their fair share for emergency services,” Rosenau said.
“This fee is not on the businesses. The only thing the business does is collect the fee. This is not a fee on the businesses, it’s a fee on the users,” he continued. “If you go rent a boat to go down the river in Tucker County, you pay that two percent fee, the business owner does not. That’s what a lot of people are not understanding. It’s the same as any other fee or a tax or anything else. The business collects it, but they do not pay it,” he continued.