Iola’s ambulance service financial trend is looking better, City Administrator Carl Slaugh told Allen County commissioners Tuesday.
Latest projections suggest the countywide service will have a deficit of $190,000 by year’s end, Slaugh said. That’s much better than a month ago when it appeared funding would fall short by $400,000.
Another bouquet Slaugh handed out was that combining Iola’s and the county’s services would result in a savings of $705,000. With combined service, Slaugh said expenditures should be $1.985 million, with Iola’s fire department a part of the mix. In 2013, Iola and the county spent $2.689 million, when both operated ambulances.
Meanwhile, Allen County included a levy of about 3.7 mills for ambulance service in its 2014 budget, when it was put together last July. That will generate about $350,000, which will remain in reserve in case something unforeseen occurred and the county had to resume ambulance service.
With Iola settling into countywide ambulance provision, Commissioner Dick Works said he saw no reason why the county couldn’t reduce, perhaps even remove altogether, the ambulance levy for the 2015 budget and those of years ahead.
That would be a property tax savings for all in the county, including Iolans.
Slaugh suggested that commissioners take into consideration when figuring their upcoming budget the pending deficit, with money it will hold in reserve. Commissioners seem resolute in staying with what they agreed to in the contract to combine services, a guarantee of $750,000 from run revenue.
Works pointed out he thought it was made clear throughout negotiations that while combining the services could result in a savings for taxpayers overall, the city likely would operate at a deficit.
The trend toward lower expenditures has come about because of personnel costs.
Originally, personnel costs were forecast at $1.9 million for 33 employees, including administrative. To date, 28 are operating Iola’s ambulance/fire department, although the immediate goal is to increase that to 30.
Slaugh said recent savings within the budget also had occurred because of a plan devised by Chief Tim Thyer and Ryan Sell, ambulance director, which reduces the number of personnel called in when ambulances are dispatched.
That has produced “additional savings without adversely affecting the service,” he said.
Also, the budget for this year has no provision for improvements to ambulance stations in Humboldt or Moran.
“They’re adequate,” Slaugh said.
He agreed that putting aside for now concerns about what the deficit eventually might be was a good approach, rather than fretting about what might happen.
“Let it work,” said Commissioner Tom Williams. “It’s too early to decide on more money. Let’s let it play out.”
