Farmer City will have ambulance service and the issue will not have to be taken to referendum November nor will taxes increase for residents of DeWitt County not in the Farmer City Fire Protection District.

Thursday night the DeWitt County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Farmer City Fire Protection District to contract with PSI, who currently provides service to the rest of DeWitt County, for ambulance service. Chairman of the Board's Public Safety Committee, Lance Reece was instrumental in making this happen and expressed his elation to have this agreement in place.

Chair of the Board David Newberg pointed out the agreement is for eight-years and the levy in Clinton will go largely unchanged. Additionally, Farmer City is unlikely to reach its max-allowed levy at that time. 

According to Reece, PSI will hire a new team of paramedics and EMTs. Additionally, he points out they will establish a post in Farmer City.

The issue was set to go to referendum in November, however, it was to appear on the ballot for Farmer City voters and the rest of DeWitt County voters as separate referendums and failure of just one would have negated any possibility of the two districts coming together. 

The agreement was approved unanimously by the Board. 

Other business from the Thursday night meeting...

>>The Board approved Curt Utterback to the Weldon Community Fire Protection District Board of Trustees to fill the unexpired term of Rex Swoverland, who resigned.

>>The Board approved the salary for a full-time public defender set as 90-percent of the salary of the State's Attorney

>>The Board approved the salary for Highway Engineer Mark Mathon

>>The Board approved a motion for adding Election Day, November 3 to the County's holiday schedule, part of a mandate from the State of Illinois.