To the Editor:

As I was reviewing the 2020 Berne town budget I noticed a peculiarity regarding medical-emergency services.

In The Enterprise on Oct. 10, 2019 Bonnie [Conklin, Berme Town Board member] had stated the following: “On emergency medical services, Conklin said, “I really don’t mind paying more if the county has to get in. We need those services up here.” [“Berne council race is wide open,” The Altamont Enterprise]

She related an experience she had when her mother, living near the Schoharie border, was sick. “We called 9-1-1 … It took over half an hour,” she said for an ambulance to arrive. Conklin explained that the Helderberg squad was out on a call and paramedics from Guilderland arrived who didn’t know how to get to the hospital from Berne.

“It’s not their fault,” she said, concluding, “We really need funding.”

I agree with Bonnie on this but, from the looks of the 2021 budget, the funds allocated for outside emergency services is $40,000 less than what was requested. What does this mean for the town?

I was talking to a patron on Tuesday at the library that is/was a volunteer on the Helderberg Ambulance. She was just saying how the crew is aging out. If this service becomes defunct on a town level and we have not paid the amount requested to Albany County, what will happen?

If there is a car accident, will injured parties just lie in the road? I feel like our town is being run like a covert operation. We are not allowed to ask questions let alone can we get any answers. Does anyone know what the heck is going on?

JoAnne Brady

East Berne

Editor’s note: JoAnne Brady and Frank Brady, who also has a letter in this edition, are married.