Legal Notices

Attention Eden Residents:

A Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 7pm during the Town Board meeting at the Eden Town Hall.  This hearing will address the formation of an ambulance district in the Town of Eden.  The purpose of the ambulance district is to ensure an ambulance service with paid and volunteer staff will continue to serve the Town of Eden.  A proposed tax rate would be established at the rate of $.75 per $1000 assessed value.  More detailed information can be found below.  If you cannot attend the meeting, you may email admin@edenny.gov with your comments and questions.

Town of Eden – Ambulance District Information

Dear Eden Residents,

Over the past year, Eden EMS has come to the Town Board with serious concerns about their ability to continue providing safe and timely emergency medical services for our community. They requested additional funding to increase the number of paid staff, strengthen volunteer recruitment and retention, and replace aging ambulances and equipment.

Currently, Eden taxpayers contribute just $68,000 per year to ambulance services. Unfortunately, this amount is no longer sufficient to sustain operations. Across the country, EMS organizations are experiencing a steep decline in volunteers. In Eden, this trend has become especially concerning in the past five years.

Most importantly we would like to thank all the volunteers in the Eden Emergency Squad.  Most residents are unaware of the time and effort they put into protecting our community. 

Becoming an EMT, Advanced EMT, or Paramedic requires a significant time commitment and financial investment. EMT training is about 5 months, Advanced EMT training is about 7 months and Paramedic training requires over 2000 clinical hours and can cost nearly $10,000.  Additionally, Eden EMS responds to approximately 800 calls annually, averaging 2.5 hours per call. While we are fortunate to have a dedicated core of volunteers, the increasing demands make it difficult for them to balance EMS service with work and family obligations.

To ensure reliable emergency care, Eden EMS has asked for additional funding to hire more EMTs and drivers, and to create a stronger volunteer retention and recruitment program. Rising costs for ambulances, rescue vehicles, and critical equipment have also outpaced our current budget.

At present, ambulance services are funded through the town’s general fund. After much discussion, the Town Board has determined that creating an Ambulance District is the best way to provide long-term stability. Just as our Fire District ensures fire tax dollars stay dedicated to fire services, the Ambulance District will guarantee that all revenue raised is used exclusively for emergency medical services in Eden.

We understand that no one wants higher taxes — we live here too and pay the same bills. But our foremost responsibility is public safety. We cannot risk a situation where an ambulance does not arrive quickly enough because of staff shortages or broken equipment.

What does this mean to the residents:

• Proposed tax rate: $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed value; strictly to the ambulance district

Example: A home assessed at $100,000 would pay about $75 per year

• Estimated annual revenue: $284,000 for Eden EMS
• Quicker response times to EMS calls

We will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, August 27th at 7:00 PM during the Town Board meeting  to answer all questions and hear your input.

Thank you for taking the time to review this important matter and for your support of Eden EMS. If you cannot attend the meeting, please feel free to call 716-992-3408 opt. 1 or email admin@edenny.gov with any questions.

Sincerely,
Eden Town Board