Clark County EMS District 2 is entering a new phase of governance and financial responsibility following a recent expansion of its board, a decision that removed the Clark County Council’s voting majority and triggered structural changes to how the agency operates.
In January, the board grew from three members to five, adding a second rotating city representative and a new rotating seat for fire districts. The current composition includes two county council seats, two seats representing cities, and one seat for local fire districts. The district serves Battle Ground, La Center, Ridgefield and Woodland across central and western Clark County.
The change comes over a year after the City of Vancouver withdrew from the regional EMS partnership effective January last year, a decision that led to higher ambulance transport rates approved in late 2025 to sustain operations for EMS District 2. With Vancouver no longer handling much of the administrative load, EMS District 2 has been taking on a larger role in overseeing services and governance.
“There was a desire to expand the board for greater representation and just to make it not as awkward in terms of avoiding violating open public meeting rules,” Clark County Chair Sue Marshall explained.
The restructuring has also altered how the district is classified financially. Without a county majority, EMS District 2 is no longer considered part of the county’s internal financial structure. Instead, it must now function more independently, including producing its own financial statements and paying for administrative services previously provided by the county.
Those changes were outlined during an April 13 meeting, where county staff said the district will need to determine how to handle administrative costs such as budgeting, legal support and financial processing. By June, the board is expected to begin shaping a plan for those responsibilities, with more detailed financial information anticipated later this summer.
With new obligations such as audits and administrative overhead, board members will need to identify how those costs will be covered moving forward.
“One thing that we'll need to figure out … will be what an annual budget might look like and if there would be a need to find some, I think ultimately we'll need to find a revenue source,” Marshall said of administrative costs.
Historically, many of those administrative functions were absorbed by Clark County or supported through the regional structure that included Vancouver. Now, the district must evaluate whether to contract those services, build internal capacity or pursue new funding mechanisms.
Despite the uncertainty, Marshall said the system itself remains in good standing following recent transitions, including the rate increases and new service agreements.
“They look stable right now. I think we worked through a difficult task, and I think trust has been built,” she said. “We're moving forward smoothly.”
District officials are also working to improve public access to information for EMS District 2. Since Vancouver’s departure, the district has had a limited online presence. When asked by The Reflector, Clark County Contract Administrator DeAnn Cordes said that staff are addressing plans for a more robust webpage connected to the county website.
As the board prepares for its next meeting, much of the focus will center on defining its financial future while maintaining service continuity across the growing district.
Readers can find a previous story about the increase in transportation rates at shorturl.at/Iu8fC.
