At their Board of Supervisors meeting last month, Louisa County city officials approved a resolution naming emergency medical services (EMS) an essential service. It was the third public hearing on the matter.

With this essential designation, the next stage of the process involves the county holding a tax referendum, with a 60% supermajority vote needed to approve the tax. If approved, the tax would provide funding for EMS moving forward.

Before a referendum can be held, however, the Board of Supervisors must first form an advisor council to determine the needs of the services, and the necessary costs to keep them in operation. Although a timetable for appointing the council has not yet been established, it was decided that it will have five members and will be gender-balanced.

The supervisors hope to move quickly in deciding the council in an effort to get tax information out to the public as soon as possible. Should a tax be implemented, it is likely that revenue would not be generated for over a year.