The Cole Camp Ambulance Board met and first order of business was to approve the local tax rate. Hearing no public comment the Board moved forward, following the calculation tools provided by the state. The Board then approved the tax levy.
Next the Board approved the agenda and the minutes from the July 2024 meeting. Financials were then approved before moving to the old business.
The immediate plan is a short term loan of $50,000. Since the tax increase wasn’t approved a conversation with the bank resulted in a different game plan of lumping everything together which would include the equipment, building loan, etc. Then, a once per year $25,000 or $30,000 payment in January when tax revenue is received. This will stretch out the time of the loan repayment originally set. Not an ideal plan but the only way the District can continue to operate.
Secondly, the District will reduce services. The Full-time employees have offered to take a $1.00 to $1.50 per hour pay cut for a time. Every other Sunday the District will be served by Lincoln/Warsaw Ambulance, not Cole Camp. The reality is, if all of Lincoln/Warsaw is already on calls the patient will have to wait in line to get attention.
Every other Saturday the District will be served by part timers and may only be a BLS service, not an ALS. Difference is with only BLS there will not be a paramedic aboard and many medical procedures cannot be performed by EMTs.
The District plans to put a tax increase back on the November ballot. In the mean time the District will be a Mutual Aid service. If the measure fails in November the reality is the District will become a straight BLS service.
The Board wants all residents to realize the District has survived this long only because of all the Covid money made available before. And there is no more Covid funding! Even if the Future income loan passes on the November ballot the District won’t receive any money until August 2025.
The Board is putting a sunset clause in the tax rate which insures they come back and re-evaluate the increase. The Sunset clause is for ten years. The Board unanimously approved putting the increase on the November ballot and it is only a twenty cent increase.
If you have any questions, ask a Board member and get the straight dollar and cents facts. Facts such as the District had to pay out $60,000 in 2023 to upgrade the 911 radar. There was no choice, it was mandated. That had to be paid back this year, 2024.
