Funding standoff threatens County Ambulance service

Disagreements over funding are putting the future of Moody County’s ambulance service at risk, with the county considering withdrawing coverage for the City of Flandreau.
The ambulance service, which generally operates at a loss each year, responds to nearly half its calls from within Flandreau. Despite this, county officials say their requests for additional funding from the city have gone unanswered.
“This has been building for years,” said County Commission Assistant Marty Skroch, noting that property tax increases in South Dakota have been capped at 3% annually since the 1980s, while inflation has far outpaced that limit.
“Every county in South Dakota is facing similar issues,” he added, in regard to looking at how they might continue to fund non-mandated services.
Currently, the county supports only a few non-mandated services, but cuts are already being made or are anticipated for other programs.
“Last year, we looked at the 4-H situation, and that wasn’t a service we had to provide. We knew it would be a change, and a big change, but we had to do it, and we’re saving money there. We had to draw the line,” said Skroch.

“We’ve now also let Soil and Conservation know they won’t be seeing any more increases, so they’re starting to look for funds elsewhere and outside of the county. The ambulance service, even though we haven’t had to, the county has always just handled the ambulance service for everyone in Moody County since 1984. So I get that it’s a big change — it’s how it’s always worked,” he added.
The county first brought the matter of the ambulance to the Flandreau City Council in 2023 but has yet to receive an offer of assistance. Talks however, reached a new tension point when city officials announced they would likely auction the old fire hall to recover any taxpayer dollars after the construction of the new fire hall.
The county had hoped to acquire the old building for ongoing ambulance operations.
The city argues it already supports the ambulance service in other ways, including mutual aid from the Flandreau Police and Fire Departments.
“It is extremely common for FPD and FFD to assist EMS staff with calls, and on several occasions, FFD and FPD have assisted by driving the ambulance. It would be difficult to quantify the cooperation that occurs between City and County staff when it comes to mutual aid assistance, but in my opinion, it is a fairly regular occurrence,” City Administrator Cohl Turnquist offered.
He also emphasized the city’s tight financial situation, noting no unallocated reserves are available to help fund the service. Proceeds from the fire hall’s sale are slated for other community projects, such as demolishing the Duncan Elevator and infrastructure improvements.
In a November 25 joint-special session, city and county officials are asking the public to attend a discussion about the future of ambulance services in Flandreau. Included in the conversation will be whether Flandreau might subsidize the service, options for staffing, and the possible transfer of the old fire hall to the county.
“Flandreau City Council is committed to ensuring that ambulance services are available to all of our community members and hopes to reach an agreement with Moody County to continue those services,” said Turnquist.
While options such as involving a third-party EMS provider or creating an ambulance district have been discussed in the past, county officials now appear unwilling to explore them further.
The meeting, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the William Janklow Community Center on November 25th, will offer residents a chance to weigh in on this critical issue that affects the health and safety of the entire county.
Both entities have expressed a desire for transparency as they work to find a resolution. Other entities have expressed an interest in joining the ambulance service in the old fire station space should it be an option. More on that and the latest on any city/county agreement in an upcoming edition.