Beaufort County will be taking over EMS service to Washington Township.

During Monday’s meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, commissioners chose not to take any action on the issue — one that has caused backlash from the City of Washington and some residents of the Washington Township area, located primarily north and west of the city. Last October, commissioners voted to cancel a decades-long contract with Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS in favor of covering the district with an expanded Beaufort County EMS.

“They didn’t take any action, so their actions of Oct. 3 stand,” said County Manager Brian Alligood.

With the decision, the City of Washington stands to lose $157,256, plus billing revenue from transports used to support city-provided EMS service, according to city officials.

Washington City Manager Bobby Roberson had no comment other than to say he would wait for discussion in the next EMS subcommittee, formed specifically for the issue and comprises city and county officials.

“I’m just going wait to see in the subcommittee meeting, and I’ll receive that information in the subcommittee, and we’ll go from there,” Roberson said.

County commissioners originally weighed three options for the EMS contract with the city: continue coverage as is; increase coverage with a Washington-Fire-Rescue-EMS paramedic-level ambulance dedicated to EMS calls only, priced at an additional $572,000; or cancel the contract, replacing service with a BC EMS ambulance at Old Ford Volunteer Fire Department on U.S. Highway 17, seven miles north of Washington.

Responding to concerns from both city officials and residents of Washington Township along the U.S. Highway 264 corridor — who objected to the plan because response times would be increased from Old Ford, as compared to service from nearby Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS station No. 2 — the county then offered another option. The offer was a $58,302 per year contract, with the city continuing collection of billing revenue; the county would staff a Quick Response Vehicle at Old Ford.

During a Jan. 26 EMS subcommittee meeting, the third option was met with little response from city officials. Councilman Doug Mercer, at the time, said he believed the changing nature of EMS coverage should be under one entity and suggested the county should take over EMS for all the county, while other city representatives argued that the city-county contract has worked to the benefit of both for years.

Alligood said his next step is to take into consideration how the expansion of BC EMS service affects next year’s budget, which is being formulated now.