Worcester Commissioners vote to bypass Berlin citing previous cash cuts by town
By Greg Ellison
(May 13, 2021) The Worcester County Commissioners voted against approving the Emergency Medical Services budget request for the Town of Berlin on Tuesday and are leaning toward taking $115,000 for Berlin’s EMS and giving it directly to the Berlin Fire Department and EMS.
Finding a way to cut the middle man out of funding for fire and EMS departments is a focal point of the overall budgetary debate for those services, but Berlin has taken center stage, as some commissioners voiced displeasure with what they say is a longstanding pattern of town officials keeping funding intended for those emergency services.
“We’ve had meetings upon meetings with the Town of Berlin, (even) back when Gerry Mason was the (county chief administrative officer) and they continue to flaunt this to our face,” Commissioner Jim Bunting said. “They continue doing what they were doing back then and we’re finally at a breaking point.”
Bunting said the town has held up as much as $300,000 in fire department and EMS funding.
“Whatever we’ve increased (the budget by), they’ve taken away,” Bunting said.
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young told the commissioners that the county has annually told the town in writing that the money given to it for fire and EMS is not to be cut, but that the words don’t exactly have teeth.
“(The letter) says you should not lower the amount that you’re giving to the fire departments,” Young said. “It’s in the letter every year … (The letter says) we are giving you this money for pass-through purposes and you are not to cut what you are currently giving to fire departments.”
Commissioner Josh Nordstrom, the lone commissioner who voted against the measure to withhold the $115,000, voiced his concern that it didn’t seem right to not give Berlin a heads up about what was developing.
Commissioner President Joe Mitrecic pointed out that no such courtesy is being given to other towns that are seeing similar budget cuts.
The next budget work session is currently scheduled for May 25.
A call to Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall’s office for comment was not returned before deadline.