Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that the contract between the town of Greenville and the Greenville Rescue Squad will expire on December 31, and ambulance officials are concerned over what they say is a lack of communication with the town board. Last week, the rescue squad's Board of Directors met with he press to talk about the future, the proposed contract, and why operational costs are on the rise. Rescue Squad Chairman Theodore Nugent, Jr. said that in November 2021, the rescue squad presented the town with a new five-year contract. “...We laid out costs over five years. It was given to the town board in executive session and somehow those numbers along with the cost per thousand ended up on Facebook. So that was kind of concerning and upsetting to us. ...,” Nugent said. The squad has not received any feedback from the board on the proposal since. “We have asked for some response… to this date, we have not heard anything back,” Nugent said. Town Supervisor Paul Macko said no one from the squad has attended a town meeting in months and noted that a rescue squad update is a standing agenda item at the board’s monthly meetings. Macko said In 2022 the town paid the squad just under $404,000. The squad's request for 2023, is more than $545,000 and the total increases yearly over the life of the contract, to $607,800 in 2027. “We have no issue with the service they provide, they are excellent,” Macko said. “But it is our objective as the town board to do this as [affordably] as possible.” Nugent said the amount paid by the town does not even cover payroll expenses and the squad relies on third-party billing to balance its budget. “This board and this agency are not trying to burden the taxpayers. We are taxpayers, too,” he said. So far in 2022, Greenville Rescue Squad is responding to an average of 50 calls per month. Macko said he would like to negotiate with the squad and would be getting in contact with Nugent. Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.