News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Overton County has a shipment of about seven heart monitors coming to replace expiring gear in its ambulances.
County Executive Ben Danner said the county saved about $40,000 by making the purchase this year.
“So, $149,000, which was originally $192,000, so we saved the difference to go ahead and order them, and we traded in the old ones in on that one,” Danner said. “If we waited until next year, we couldn’t trade the old ones in, because they were past their usage date.”
Danner said the county was not awarded a FEMA grant for the equipment, but increasing sales tax revenue made the purchase possible. Danner said money will come from the county’s general fund without costing tax payers.
“Mainly from our increase in sales tax we’ve had in the county,” Danner said. “So, we are not having to put it on the tax payers on their property taxes cause we got a big increase in sales tax due to people staying at home and ordering more from home. Just generally, a lot of the businesses we got here in the county new have come in our sales tax. We are looking at hitting two million dollars this year in sales tax, which is more than double what it was six years ago.”
Danner said the heart monitors should arrive in about two or three weeks and be in service soon after. The County Commission Monday approved the budget resolution for the purchase.
Danner said the life expectancy of heart monitors only last about a few years.
