Lennox is a small community that takes care of its neighbors. We help when the neighbor kids need a ride to school, sign up for booster club fundraisers, volunteer with the Lions Club, and pitch in to shovel sidewalks after a storm. We also make sure that an ambulance shows up when someone needs it most.
With a small but dedicated crew of paid staff and volunteers, Lennox Ambulance responds to nearly 500 calls every year—ensuring that you, your loved ones, and your neighbors receive professional, life-saving care when it matters most.
Those approximately 500 calls come from a wide area. Lennox Ambulance covers 189 square miles, stretching from Chancellor to Worthing and from Highway 18 north into Minnehaha County. In 2025, less than half of all calls originated within the Lennox city limits. This means our ambulance provides critical coverage for a large region that depends on Lennox for emergency medical response. Unfortunately, that regional benefit comes with a cost—and most of that cost is currently shouldered by Lennox taxpayers.
Ambulance services rely on two primary funding sources. The first is billing only for ambulance calls that result in transport to a hospital or medical facility. Those calls are billed to the patient’s insurance provider. However, insurance companies set their own reimbursement rates, often paying far less than what it costs to deliver the service. As a result, every call represents a financial loss.
Each year, that loss is covered through a transfer from one of the City’s other funds to the ambulance fund—essentially moving money from one pocket to another to make up the difference. In recent years, that annual shortfall has exceeded $125,000. While some nearby towns and townships make small annual donations, there is no formal funding arrangement to share the cost of ambulance service for the 187 square miles outside Lennox city limits. This imbalance is neither fair nor sustainable. The taxpayers of Lennox cannot continue to subsidize emergency medical care for residents living far beyond city limits.
To be clear, we want our rural neighbors in Lincoln and Turner Counties to have access to emergency medical care. Many of us have family, friends, and coworkers who live outside of town, and we care deeply about their safety. But Lennox simply cannot continue to shoulder the cost of regional ambulance service alone. Therefore, I am recommending that the Lennox City Council announce the end of ambulance services outside of city limits beginning in January 2027 unless a new, sustainable funding solution is put in place.
This is not a decision anyone is taking lightly. It comes after years of discussion, collaboration, and unsuccessful attempts to secure the funding necessary to sustain and improve our ambulance operations. The South Dakota Department of Health has studied this very issue, and the Legislature is currently exploring statewide solutions. But we cannot wait any longer. Calls are increasing, costs are rising, and revenue has remained flat. Without change, our ability to provide emergency services will be at risk.
The funding challenges faced by Lennox are not unique. Townships and small towns across South Dakota are in the same position—facing rising costs, limited revenues, and growing demand for essential services. State lawmakers continue to seek ways to limit local revenue options, leaving communities to do more with less. Maintaining core services like ambulance response has become increasingly difficult, especially in rural areas. Thankfully, South Dakota law already provides a solution: the creation of an Ambulance District.
An ambulance district is a special-purpose governmental entity established specifically to fund and manage emergency medical services (EMS) within a defined geographic area. These districts exist to make sure communities — especially rural and underserved ones — have access to timely, reliable ambulance care.
Each district is governed by an elected board of directors, made up of residents from within the district’s boundaries. The board is responsible for budgeting, setting property tax levies, and ensuring compliance with state EMS licensing requirements.
For our area, the proposed five-member board would represent:
Chancellor
Lennox
Worthing
Rural Lincoln County
Rural Turner County
The board would set a modest property tax levy applied equally across the district to fund operations, staffing, and equipment. In other parts of South Dakota, similar ambulance district proposals have passed with overwhelming community support—sometimes by more than 90% in favor.
Over the coming months, you’ll hear more about this proposal and what it means for you and your family. I encourage you to ask questions, attend meetings, and get informed about how an ambulance district would work.
This effort is not about ending service for our friends and neighbors outside Lennox—it’s about ensuring that service continues for everyone in the region. A district would distribute costs fairly among all who benefit, providing sustainable funding and long-term stability for emergency medical care.
Lennox Ambulance has been a lifeline for our area for decades. With community support, it can continue to be one for decades to come. The time to act is now—before the system we rely on reaches its breaking point.
Let’s work together to build a fair, sustainable, and dependable future for emergency medical services in Lincoln and Turner Counties.