The Greene County Commission's Budget & Finance Committee learned Monday that Greene County-Greeneville EMS this year will seek less funding from the county and city governments.

EMS Director Robert Sayne told the committee that the budget he was submitting seeks $130,634 from the county government, which is $63,389 less than last year, because he is confident that the ambulance service will receive much more revenue this year from Medicare.

For the same reason, the ambulance service will seek $55,982 from Greeneville, which is $27,166 less than last year.

EMS's total proposed budget is up $209,444, to $1,781,607, because of an increase in rates being charged for transporting patients, whether paid privately or by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly.

Sayne said that Medicare has never paid in-county mileage in Tennessee or North Carolina, but a provision in the Balanced Budget Act passed by Congress last year includes a provision to do so.

He said the rate will either be $1.50 per mile or $7.50 per mile, depending on how Medicare interprets the law.

"We anticipate a minimum of $350,000" in extra income from the measure, Sayne said, but he said he budgeted for $300,000, as a conservative "guesstimate."

"We're really hoping for a lot more than $300,000, but there's no way to be sure," he said, because the rate has not been set. He said the change was supposed to be implemented in January, then in April, and Medicare officials are now saying it will occur on July 1.

In response to a question from Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander, Sayne said he did not include a cost-of-living raise in the budget, only step pay raises.

The budget includes a $53,000 increase to pay for step raises, but this was not discussed by the committee, which approved the budget.

Sayne said in a telephone interview Wednesday that the step raises are patterned "pretty closely" after a program the Sheriff's Department has used for many years. He said the program was worked out by the county's budget director, Pat Noland.

Sayne was asked in the meeting how the new ambulances that were purchased last year are performing. He reported that while a year ago EMS was averaging having one vehicle towed in daily, since the new ambulances have gone in service only one has been towed in, and that was for a minor problem that was corrected in half an hour.

Watershed Alliance's Request

The board also heard a request from Commissioner Tim Armstrong, president of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance, which he noted will be a year old in May.

The Alliance has drafted a charter and has a working budget for the next fiscal year. It is in the process of applying for non-profit status.

Armstrong noted that the Alliance had voted to ask the county government for $2,000 in funding for next year. It is now operating on "seed money" given by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and investigating several grant sources.

The goal of the organization is to "continue to have clean, drinkable, safe water" available in this region. The biggest part of the Middle Nolichucky is in Greene County, and other, similar organizations have been formed to serve Unicoi, Washington and Cocke counties, Armstrong said.

He said, regarding next year's budget, "I know we're going to have some money, but we're working on about a $2,000 shortfall."

John B. Jones, who represents TVA on the Alliance board, has said that funding by local governments would show TVA that the Alliance is doing work that the community values, and that could be a factor that would influence TVA to continue funding the Alliance another year.

Armstrong said he is aware that $2,000 in funding may be difficult for the county government.

Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander, who has attended several Alliance meetings, said the organization is "doing a lot of positive things," including a well-attended creek cleanup in March.

Armstrong said the creek cleanup targeted Richland Creek, Moon Creek and Holley Creek, and because the effort was new, he expected about 20 people to help.

Instead, 90 people came, and picked up enough trash to fill a large roll-off container.

The organization plans a seminar May 1 to show real estate developers how to protect water quality, he said, and every County Commissioner is invited.

Commissioner Billy McCamey said, "I think we ought to include (the $2,000 request) if we can."

Schools' Food Service Budget

The committee also briefly reviewed and approved the school system's Food Service budget. School System Budget Director Vickie Hughes said that the budget does not seek any additional funding from the county government. It was approved unanimously.

The Food Service budget total is $2.6 million, of which $1.2 million comes from the federal government, $1.3 million comes from charges paid by people served, about $24,000 from local funds and the rest from the state government.

Commissioner Alex Edens, who made the motion, noted that the Food Service budget is essentially self-supporting.