Chilton County leaders are looking for ways to fund a community-run emergency service. Last week, county commissioners discussed the possibility of adding a $15 fee to all license plates in Chilton County to ensure funding.

Chilton County does not have a county operated ambulance service and we have learned that they do not have a contract with an ambulance service as of 2021.

READ MORE: Is a $15 vehicle fee the solution to Chilton County’s ambulance problems?
READ MORE: Chilton County discusses $15 vehicle fee to fund new ambulance service

Community members’ reactions to this possibility were mixed.

“You need ambulance service. If your family member is out there in a serious accident, you need that ambulance service,” said Tammy Melendy, a Chilton County resident.

Some others we spoke to disagreed, saying the additional $15 fee was not feasible for their budget.

“Some people say they don’t care or they’ll make the long drive or go without it, but honestly we have family members who have had to resort to this and it’s important to get an answer very quickly, sometimes it’s a matter of life and death,” said William Mallinson, a Chilton County resident and business owner.

Tammy Melendy herself waited a long time for an ambulance to arrive at her home in Chilton County.

“I relapsed in March and it took an hour for the ambulance to get there and I was alone,” Melendy said. “What if I had been seriously injured during that time?”

It is estimated that the county’s ambulance service would cost $2.4 million, with $1.5 million covered by the vehicle fee and the remaining funds coming from corporate revenue.

The registration fee would guarantee three ambulances and one escort vehicle for use exclusively in Chilton County.

Commissioner Randell Kelley said the idea is to send a resolution to the legislature to hold a special election on whether to impose a vehicle fee to ensure that Chilton County residents make the decision. If the vehicle fee is then passed, it would take nearly three years for the county’s emergency services to be operational.