Holdridge persuades board to fund EMS district

Plans for a dedicated EMS service for the town and village of Chester nearly fell through at the November 13 Chester Town Board meeting.

Councilman Tom Becker made a motion to not fund the district, which councilmen Larry Dysinger and Antonio Ardisana initially voted aye in agreement. After a meeting with the town attorney, Supervisor Brandon Holdridge emerged and gave a persuasive speech claiming it would be “reckless” to abandon the EMS service at the last minute after months of working on it and receiving the backing of the village.

Holdridge recalled the vote and Ardisana reversed his vote. The board is reducing its commitment to the district from the originally proposed $1.22 million to $910,000 as it now appears the town and village will contract with Empress for EMS services instead of investing in creating its own town-run service.

“I think as a town board we failed our residents in creating a budget,” Becker said, adding that nobody has died from a late ambulance according to his knowledge.

Dysinger added that during his campaign for councilman, not one voter listed EMS service as a point of concern. Holdridge countered that he has received a lot of feedback from residents that improved EMS service is a priority to them.

The $312,000 reduction in monies allocated for the EMS tax district represents a 3% decrease in the tax increase for the town. Holdridge noted the town could still use ARPA funds to fund the difference for a town-run ambulance district, but at a recent special meeting the village trustees voted 5-0 to have Empress run the service.

The town board also voted to reallocate $60,000 in ARPA funding for the purchase of two police vehicles to reduce the tax hike, as well as an additional $187,000 in the fund balance. The original proposed tax hike was about 20%.

Other business

In other news the Repair Café held on November 2 by the Conservation Advisory Council was declared a success. Seventeen “fixers” volunteered to be repair coaches and 96 residents showed up with goods to be repaired. Only 19 of 223 items were unable to be repaired. In addition, the town received $269 in unsolicited donations from people appreciative of the service.

A request to waive the fee for use of the SLPAC pavilion was the source of another 3-2 vote with Becker and Dysinger voting against waiving the fee on November 29 for a Native American Heritage Month event. Becker complained that when he first came on the board they rarely waived fees and in 2024 they have routinely done so. Meanwhile, it has come to light the SLPAC is running at a deficit of over $100,000 annually.

That deficit will be less next year than initially anticipated, according to town comptroller Neil Meyer. He told the board he expects 2025 revenues to be $220,000, up from his initial projection of $175,000.

The town board approved a resolution to appoint Leslie Smith as a voting member of the Chester Conservation Advisory Council. The board also passed a resolution to Introduce Water Code Local Law Amendments. A public hearing will be held December 11.