Daviess County commissioners voted unanimously at a special meeting to decline moving forward with an emergency medical services (EMS) tax for 2026 and agreed to revisit the question next year.

The decision followed a short discussion in which members praised staff work, said they did not want to raise taxes, and noted that alternatives had emerged after a regional development commission meeting earlier that morning. County staff member Grant advised the body that, procedurally, today would be the last day to take official action if the county wanted to adopt the tax for the next year.

"Good morning all. Welcome to our special meeting. The purpose this morning is to actually vote on the EMS task," the presiding official said at the meeting opening.

Several members thanked staff and colleagues for their work evaluating options. One member said, "phenomenal job. I mean, I'm not just tooting your horn you guys. I've been in discussions. We wanna make sure that all of our services are taken care of, and that, you know, we're not going over budget," praising efforts to identify alternatives.

Another member said the tax had been an available option for years but gained urgency after changes tied to "SB 1," noting the county had looked at the option in case new costs materialized. That member added, "I don't want new taxes," while acknowledging the county had considered being proactive to avoid bigger bills later.

When asked about timing and legality, staff member Grant said, "If you wanted to move ahead with something, it would have to be done today...it would have to be done in a public meeting like this where you take official action. If you wanted to move ahead, today would be your last day for for the next year." Grant also said there did not appear to be process issues if the body wished to proceed.

Tony moved "to decline it. Not do not go forward with it. And we'll look at it in a year." Mike Sprinkle seconded the motion. After a voice vote, the presiding official declared the motion unanimous. The minutes record that the county will not move forward with the EMS tax for 2026; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn and the presiding official closing the special meeting.