The announcement rumored about for weeks, became official at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting of the Montgomery County Ambulance District Board.

The board, riddled with projected budget deficit of $136,000, expects to save $168,000 with the cuts.

"Hopefully, we don’t run into trouble with a third run, but you have to do what you have to do", said a disappointed Wayne Welch, the ambulance service’s director.

The cuts affect three paramedics and three emergency medical technicians. The six were the service’s most recent hires.

Welch suggested the board lay off those six, saying "That’s the only way to do it and be fair about it."

The board agreed and voted in 3-0 favor of his plan. The layoffs become effective Nov. 5

Andy Baker has been the board’s most adamant spokesman in favor of a proposed increase to its portion of the county’s property tax. The measure would hike the tax for 2 cents per $100 to 4 cents.

For a person with $100,000 in property their portion of the tax would go from $20 to $40.

Baker argued the added tax is a necessity to keep the proper level of medical care available to the county residents. And, as he warned, without the tax dollars the service had no where else to go, but to cut the very people it needs.

But, residents opposed to the hike brought forth a petition which calls for a recall vote on the measure.

Petitioners needed to garner 887 signatures, 10 percent of the total voters who cast ballots at the last Presidential election, to get such a vote called. Last Thursday that number of signatures was verified on petitions submitted to county clerk Judy Long Whitt, her office confirmed.

Should the ambulance board choose to hold such a vote, one would be held at the general election in 2003.

A majority of the voters would decide whether the tax, which could not be assessed until early 2004, would be levied. Baker told the board he was doubtful the measure could pass, but said it might be worth a chance.