Local News

Ambulance Service Options


With the Dr. John Warner Hospital recently announcing their plans to end providing ambulance service to residents west of Route 48 in DeWitt County, municipalities in that area are scrambling to come up with solutions.

Clinton Mayor Carolyn Peters has presented several entities over the past several weeks with options on where to turn for the service. Mayor Peters says with the Clinton City budget in the state it is in, they are in no shape prepared to provide the service, but either the city or county would have to end up having to find a way to fund it.

[audio:ambulance1.mp3]Word from Peters[/audio]

As reported yesterday on Regional Radio News, maybe the best option would be to have the County Board approve a county wide tax levy for the ambulance, which would generate more than enough money to continue the service.

Other options the mayor presented was the possibility of an ambulance district, however, there is no state provision for that possibility, so it ruled out.  An option remains for each municipality to incorporate their own levy of up to .25%. However, Mayor Peters says then each municipality must pass their own referendum for the levy.

[audio:ambulance2.mp3]Word from Peters[/audio]

The final option would be to have the Fire Protection Districts of Wapella, Kenney, Waynesville and Clinton's Board of Trustees agree to provide the service with a levy, but the levy max for this option would be .30%. Once again, the problem becomes each FPD must pass their own referendum, but it would leave out the city of Clinton and again the Power Plant.

[audio:ambulance3.mp3]Word from Peters[/audio]

The largest obstacle to overcome with the municipalities or FPD's financing their own service would be getting voters on board to approve the tax levy for the ambulance service.

All of the options are time sensitive as well, with referendums needing to be resolved to be put on the March 20th ballot by early January. If that deadline is not met, it could be 2014 before money would become available for an ambulance service because of taxing laws currently in place.

The DeWitt County Board will be discussing passing a resolution to put a referendum on the March ballot to finance the service. Mayor Peters encourages residents to contact their County Board representative and give them your input on the issue.

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