Editor, This is the first time that I have ever written a letter to the editor, but I received a bill Monday that concerned me as a resident of Bryan County.

Several weeks ago, an ambulance had to be called to transport a family member to the hospital. I have no qualms about the quality of service that was given. It was excellent.

However, the first thing I was surprised about was the price. I had figured maybe $500, and thought that might be on the high side. The actual bill was $778.25. Sticker shock, as I haven’t gotten anything yet from the hospital for the emergency room.

However, the next thing I noticed was that the address it was sent to was so incorrect, it was funny. I happen to live in Strathy Hall on Ogeechee Drive. It was sent to Ogeechee Road, which is Highway 17. The really strange thing was the city that it was sent to: Brisbon, Georgia. Didn’t even know there was a town called Brisbon. However, the zip code was correct, and I guess we have been here so long that we are known at the post office, so we received it.

When I started looking, I realized the reason. Did you know that the Bryan County Emergency Services is out of Paducah, Kentucky?

Now why on Earth is the county of Bryan in Georgia paying someone in Kentucky to handle their billing? With so many people out of work, why are we paying someone in another state? Surely there are accountants or individuals within the county to handle this billing without giving the money to not only another county, but another state. This really bothers me.

Karen Hewitt

Richmond Hill