March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Ambulance rates may increase

EAST MILLINOCKET — The Board of Selectmen next week will consider increasing ambulance rates in an effort to make it a “break-even” service.

Selectmen met with some department heads this week to review overdrafts totaling $65,627 in the fiscal 1991 municipal budget (year ending June 30).

As the result of the review, it appeared that most overdraft situations had or would be corrected. Selectmen directed Administrative Assistant Judy Doore to send a memo to all department heads asking that they make selectmen aware of overdraft situations.

In reviewing an $11,568 overdraft in the ambulance accounts, Chairman John Rouleau said one problem was that the town’s rates were not high enough to support the cost of the service. Fire Chief Les Brown, who oversees the ambulance service, agreed.

“We are one of the lowest services around. We are losing money on every run going to Millinocket Regional Hospital,” he said.

Brown presented selectmen with information comparing the town’s ambulance rates to those of other similar services. East Millinocket’s base rate of $40 was very low compared with the base rate of $100 in Millinocket, $170 in Bangor, $120 in Houlton and $140 in Madawaska.

The ambulance supervisor proposed that the base rate for residents be increased to $75 and $170 for non-residents, saying rates should not be increased drastically, but instead the town should charge extra for skills.

Selectmen wanted to know whether a resident base rate of $75 would mean a “break even” situation for the service. Officials asked if a $100 resident base rate would meet all costs. Brown said the $100 resident base rate and extra charges for skills would achieve a break even point.

Responding to officials’ concerns about three EMTs being used on a large percentage of ambulance runs, Brown said more than two EMTs were used on only 56 percent of the runs. Defending the service, Brown said the service had gone from just a basic service to an intermediate one. He said most people were happy with it. Officials told Brown he did not have to defend the service and that it was a good one, but the issue was finances.

The reasons for $28,485 overdraft in the Police Department budget were that accounts such as salaries, equipment repairs, electrical work, preventive maintenance, radio repairs, building repairs and door replacement were underbudgeted and revenues collected were less than had been anticipated.

The major reasons for a $15,070 overdraft in the recreation accounts was because of unexpected maintenance of facilities and non budgeted items, such as newly mandated staff training.

The sanitation-solid waste accounts were overdrafted by $23,965 because one salary had been omitted.


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