Commissioners were aware of Iola’s pending request for additional support for its operation of countywide ambulance service prior to Monday night’s city council meeting. City Administrator Carl Slaugh had visited with commissioners individually to bring them up to date on ambulance finances.
Current estimates are that the city will be about $400,000 short of meeting expenses in its fire/EMS department by the end of the year, city council members were told Monday night. Alternatives are to raise funds within the city — first blush means are a utility surcharge or increase in local sales taxes — or for the county to up its ante.
The contract city and county governing bodies negotiated and signed in January provides for Iola to provide countywide ambulance service, for which the county guaranteed $750,000 from run charges.
The city proposed a meeting between its principles and commissioners to consider a change in funding. None is yet scheduled.
County commissioners noted that a deficit in the neighborhood of the estimated $400,000 was mentioned several times during negotiations. Thus, Commissioner Dick Works observed, the pending deficit should have come as no surprise.
“That’s the price they pay for the privilege of providing ambulance service,” he said.
He, as well as commissioners Tom Williams and Jim Talkington, also pointed out that ambulance services were notorious for losing money.
For example, this year’s county budget contained provision to spend up to $1.378 million on ambulance service, on the rationale that an agreement to combine services with Iola’s might not have been reached.
Of funding, only $600,000 was anticipated from service charges. A levy of 3.726 mills was included to generate $361,420 for the ambulance fund. Also, commissioners anticipated a transfer of $367,000 from the general fund, the equivalent of about 3.8 mills.
Meanwhile, if the city were to attach a surcharge to utility bills, one of about $25 a month would be needed the remainder of the year to raise the $400,000 in question, City Administrator Carl Slaugh told council members Monday night. He pegged sales tax support at 1/2 percent — half a cent on a sale of $1.
With it responsible for meeting needs throughout the county, Iola operates two ambulances from its fire station and one each in Humboldt and Moran.
