Cut in KRT, ambulance levy proposed: ; Changes would take place over three year period

Two Kanawha County commissioners are proposing to save taxpayers$1 million at the expense of the Kanawha County Ambulance Authorityand Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority.

Commissioners Duke Bloom and Kent Carper are proposing that thelevy that funds the two county agencies be cut by that amount over athree-year period.

"I believe that's realistic," Bloom said.

Carper added, "I am confident they can live with that cut."

Commissioner Hoppy Shores also is interested in lowering thelevy, but he is not sure whether it should be $1 million.

"I want to roll it back as far as we can," he said.

The commission wants to make a final decision on the cut beforeMay 2000, when the levy is up for renewal. The levy needs to beapproved by 60 percent of the voters to continue.

In the meantime, commissioners are expected to meet with theboards of the two agencies to find out if the proposed tax cut couldimpose an unnecessary financial strain.

Both agencies, which split the revenue from the levy equally, areaware of the proposal. Spokesmen for the agencies said they reallyhave no choice in the matter.

"Depending on what they roll back, we would have to developfigures to respond to it," said Joe Lynch, director of the ambulanceauthority.

Milton Back, general manager of KRT, said, "They are the ones whohave to turn around and face the voters - whatever their decisionis."

If necessary, the management of both agencies would consolidateor cut services to handle the cut. Lynch said his agency couldprobably deal with the reduction without losing jobs or services.But Back said there is a possibility his agency could lose jobs andservices. Fare increases may be considered to offset the cut, Backadded.

The proposed cut follows a five-year trend in which thecommission voted to lower the tax.

Earlier this year, the commission reduced the levy enough to savetaxpayers $500,000. County officials said the cut saved the averagehomeowner about $5 or $6 on annual property taxes. County officialsconsider the average homeowner to be a person who owns a $100,000home.

County officials said the reductions to the levy have made thebudgets for the two agencies "revenue-neutral." The term, theofficials said, means the two agencies do not lose any money neededfor operational costs.

Interestingly enough, however, the revenue generated by the levyhas increased steadily over the last five years. The increase can beattributed to a jump in property assessments, County Manager SteveSluss said.

Last fiscal year, the levy contributed about $5 million to thetotal budget of both agencies.

Writer Richard Peacock can be reached at 348-4819.