The request is now in black and white. Now it’s a waiting game to see if the state auditor can make the now-defunct Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Services pay the more than $300,000 it owes Lawrence County.

Last month State Auditor Dave Yost released an audit of the ambulance service, that had served Lawrence, Athens and Jackson counties, for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. According to the audit in each of the targeted years, Lawrence County made money.

However, Athens operated in the red for all three years with a total deficit of $409,118. Jackson had deficits of $83,598 in 2008 and $220,884 in 2010.

In 2009, Jackson had a surplus of $68,175. That added up to Athens and Jackson owing SEOEMS $645,425 and Lawrence owed a refund of $301,396.

On Monday the SEOEMS board met and voted down a motion by Commissioner Les Boggs to pay the county the money owed it.

In its regular Thursday meeting Commissioners Boggs, Paul Herrell and Bill Pratt agreed to contact Yost directly to see if the state auditor’s office can get the county its money.

“We will send a letter to the state auditor asking them to have their finding enforced,” Boggs said. “They do have some ability to enforce or could get other agencies to get it enforced.”

When SEOEMS disbanded, Lawrence County had to start its own EMS. Commissioners heard a report from EMS officials that a second new ambulance was expected.

“We will get it in service as soon as we can,” Lori Morris of the LCEMS told the commission.

That ambulance will go into a fleet that this week lost the use of four vehicles — two with transmission or major engine problems.

In other action the commissioners:

• Approved an agreement with Ballard Kirk, an architect who is to come up with a design for a community building in Symmes Township;

• Approved an agreement with Rodney Montgomery to trench approximately 14,000 feet for water line at $1 per foot;

• Approved the disability retirement of William Cade, a Department of Job and Family Services maintenance worker;

• Received the report from the dog warden where 68 dogs were destroyed; one was sold and four were redeemed. Last week 120 dogs were in custody.