The Crossville City Council held a special meeting tonight to discuss a proposed city-run ambulance service, which sparked significant public opposition.

The mayor opened the meeting, emphasizing decorum and setting a three-minute limit per speaker for public comments, later suspending the total time limit to accommodate numerous speakers.

Residents, including Ron Webb and Janelle Cochran, expressed concerns about the redundancy of a new EMS, citing the effectiveness of the existing Cumberland County EMS and the financial burden of potential tax increases.

County Commissioner Tom Isham presented a resolution opposing the proposal, while Randy Davis advocated for collaboration with the county’s EMS rather than creating a duplicate service.

Personal testimonies, like Craig Clark’s, highlighted the efficiency of the current EMS, and Bruce Wyatt stressed the need for better city-county communication.

The meeting saw strong calls to rescind the proposal.

The City Finance Director, Nathan Clouse, presented an updated budget, revealing that the service’s costs were massively underestimated while revenue projections were inflated. The director showed that the first-year expense was closer to $4.75 million (a 45% increase), while actual cash collections from the service would likely be only about $556,000. The plan was projected to drain over 25% of the city’s cash reserves in the first year and necessitate a recurring tax hike.

The vote for the City EMS was rescinded in a 3-2 vote, with council members Art Gernt, James Mayberry, and Mayor RJ Crawford voting to rescind. Council members Mike Turner and Mark Fox voted against rescinding.

They then voted 4-1 to move it to a voter referendum for November 2026.