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New OC Budget Includes Upgraded Emergency Response For Three Lakes, Sugar Camp

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Oneida County passed next year's budget this week that includes a move to provide direct emergency services in Three Lakes and Sugar Camp.

The final county budget showed a 3 percent general property tax increase, but almost 2 percent of that figure is for expanded ambulance service in those towns.

Oneida County Emergency Management Director Ken Kortenhoff says a dwindling pool of volunteers has strained the ambulance corps in Sugar Camp and Three Lakes.

They will be developing a paramedic unit to be shared by the two towns...

"....we are having problems hiring paramedics. So what we're going to try and do this year is start with an advanced EMT level and then recruit paramedics to try to bring them up to that level...."

Kortenhoff said they will likely be constructing a building between the towns to house the upgraded service. The other part of the property tax increase included rising health insurance premiums and other line items. The $51 million dollar budget also shows a recovering economy contributing more sales tax revenue than a year ago.

Most Oneida County employees received a 1 percent increase in pay as part of the county budget process this week. While most employees got the raise, a small group of employees at the top of their pay grade were initially excluded from any increase.

The board passed a resolution to give those 18 employees a one-time payment as county board member Carol Pederson explains...

".....we still wanted to recognize them in some way and let them know we feel they are valuable to us and to the county, and perhaps the way to approach this would be to make a flat payment to each of those 18 individuals...."

The 18 workers will get a flat $300 payment totaling $5,400. The one percent increase for the rest of the workers totaled $112,000 partially offset by fees and state aids.

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