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At the same time, those communities are considering joining a local authority that calls for a tax to pay for local ambulance service.

Lexington and Worth townships have approved a resolution opposing the renewal of two-tenths of a mill for county medical control services that will appear on the August ballot. Worth Clerk Marcy Bartniczak said Fremont and Buel townships also approved the resolution, which was written by Worth.

Bartniczak has also supplied the resolution to Sanilac Township officials, who will consider it on June 3. Sanilac Township officials will also consider the proposed Eastern Sanilac Ambulance Authority at the meeting.

The Med-Control/Emergency Services Millage of 0.2 mills is up for renewal for three years from 2009-2011. The millage supports the coordination of ambulance-emergency services, advanced training of emergency medical personnel, physician supervision and ambulance-life support equipment and appropriate allocation of resources to support community ambulance services under the direction and support of the Med-Control Board. However, the state-mandated authority does not provide ambulance service, which is a misunderstanding residents have had for years.

Croswell EMS is attempting to form the Eastern Sanilac authority with the communities it services in order to stop subsidizing the ambulance service from the Croswell city budget.

Why are township officials in the southeast section of the county voicing their opposition to county med-control?

The resolution maintains: townships are currently paying a fee to supply ambulance services; The county med-control millage does not fund ambulance service; officials don't believe the med-control millage is substantially benefiting the residents of the southeastern corner of Sanilac County; the townships will not be without ambulance service if the county millage goes down.

"The statute doesn't require the taxpayer to pay (for county med-control)," said Lexington Township Supervisor Chad Partaka, who township supports the concept of the local ambulance authority. "When you look at the budget they have for that (county) department, and St. Clair County has $90,000, the question is what is necessary."

The Sanilac Med-Control millage is projected to raise $282,972 in 2008.

"We can be like St. Clair County... St. Clair charges more for their (EMS) courses," said Sanilac Med-Control Director Steve Kipp.

"There are a tremendous amount of things that come through here and get done because of that millage that the average person would not know," he added.

For example, Med-Control provides free batteries for the defibulators carried by ambulances, and first responders including the police officers.

"We spend almost $10,000 a year just replacing batteries...We supply first aid kits and restock them for first responders," Kipp said.

"If the millage doesn't pass, the prices will go up and the services will be reduced," he said.