Voters deny fire-based ambulance service - Journal Advocate

Heather Delgado-Diaz reviews the unofficial election results Tuesday evening. She beat out her opponents, Don Barnes and Ken Summers, for the vacant Ward 1 seat.

[Excellent]

Now, I voted against LESA. I don't like Doug and LifeCare. I wonder if the County will look at the options and realize Lifecare is the cheapest way out and renew his contract? I hear other companies want $90,000 a mo. when Doug was charging $90,000 a yr. I would almost bet they will not be so quick to get rid of LifeCare... I guess we will see.

[SterTown]

Time for a County based Ambulance, similar to Fort Morgan's system.

[Mmm Hmm]

SterTown wrote:

Time for a County based Ambulance, similar to Fort Morgan's system.

So, how do you think that a count EMS agency wont still have a $1.2 million budget (dont forget thats what Doug says his annual budget is too)? That money still has to come from somewhere, so if a 1/2% tax was too much for the voters, just where would the funding for a new county department come from?

[SterTown]

Through user fee's, pay for use system. No tax dollars needed.

[roamer]

SterTown wrote:

Through user fee's, pay for use system. No tax dollars needed.

The whole problem with Life Care is that there simply isnt enough business in Logan County. When you only collect on 3 or 4 out of every 10 bills and your population is as small as ours, a simple fee-for-use system doesnt work unless you bill people $3,000 per ride.

And if it went that way, how do you think that things will get paid for during the first year (or few years)? I mean, you've got to hire people, buy equipment and vehicles, buy meds, pay insurance, pay for a building (lease or buy), etc., etc., and they cant go into debt to do that. A simple fee based system is going to take quite some time until there is money in the checkbook.

The LESA plan was very clear that as fee's supported more of the budget, the tax could be reduced.

[Voted No]

It was too big and too fast for Logan County. I think if LESA was approached on a smaller scale the plan would have taken wings. People don’t like big changes that take from their already shallow pockets. I voted no because it just didn’t feel right at the time. Try again when the economy is in better shape, take it down a couple notches and I'll bet it takes off. I may even vote yes this time if it's not so agressive, Good Luck and God Bless;)

[So entitled]

Voted No wrote:

It was too big and too fast for Logan County. I think if LESA was approached on a smaller scale the plan would have taken wings. People don’t like big changes that take from their already shallow pockets. I voted no because it just didn’t feel right at the time. Try again when the economy is in better shape, take it down a couple notches and I'll bet it takes off. I may even vote yes this time if it's not so agressive, Good Luck and God Bless;)

So until then don't expect any "aggressive" pre-hospital care either. Way to spend your dollars.

[Voted No]

So entitled wrote:

<quoted text>
So until then don't expect any "aggressive" pre-hospital care either. Way to spend your dollars.

I hope you realize smart mouth comments like this hurt your cause. You are right I don't want some over confident arrogant know it all administering any type of pre-hospital care. I want well planned experienced care. If any ballot issue wants a chance drooping the condescending attitude would be the first step. Just because certain greedy individuals didn't get their way we have to listen to them whine. Maybe I can call you a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE. If So entitled is involved with this attitude my vote will always be NO. I don't feel safe with pre-Madondas with hidden agendas and Captain-Lieutenant wanabe. Grind your axe somewhere else its not wanted in Logan county the majority has spoken.

[Oh Geez]

Voted No wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't feel safe with pre-Madondas with hidden agendas

LOL

Um... huh?!?

Its, "primadonna" and it doesnt mean what you seem to think it does.

Do you work for Life Care?

[SterTown]

Voted No wrote:

It was too big and too fast for Logan County. I think if LESA was approached on a smaller scale the plan would have taken wings. People don’t like big changes that take from their already shallow pockets. I voted no because it just didn’t feel right at the time. Try again when the economy is in better shape, take it down a couple notches and I'll bet it takes off. I may even vote yes this time if it's not so agressive, Good Luck and God Bless;)

You hit it on the head!!! Exactly. Tone it down a notch and I would've voted for it.

[roamer]

SterTown wrote:

<quoted text>
You hit it on the head!!! Exactly. Tone it down a notch and I would've voted for it.

The plan was built as robust as it was because that is what multiple fire and medical personnel (including Life Care -- dont forget, their plan cost even more than LESA) deemed as appropriate and ideal for a community the size of Sterling with the volume of fire and medical calls they have.

The idea was to fund it properly and sufficiently, and then do it right the first time around. Why would you want to hobble some lesser program together already knowing that down the road you're gonna have to make it bigger anyway?

I dont know about you, but I like to do something right the first time and then I just know I wont have to mess with it again.

[SterTown]

roamer wrote:

<quoted text>
The plan was built as robust as it was because that is what multiple fire and medical personnel (including Life Care -- dont forget, their plan cost even more than LESA) deemed as appropriate and ideal for a community the size of Sterling with the volume of fire and medical calls they have.
The idea was to fund it properly and sufficiently, and then do it right the first time around. Why would you want to hobble some lesser program together already knowing that down the road you're gonna have to make it bigger anyway?
I dont know about you, but I like to do something right the first time and then I just know I wont have to mess with it again.

That makes sense. Another issues I didn't like was the Tabor issues, which basically gives them in open checkbook if the sales tax isn't meeting expectations. Tabor was to allow them to spend money they made. I thought they were going to give the money back, if they made excess.

[Realy]

Oh Geez wrote:

<quoted text>
LOL
Um... huh?!?
Its, "primadonna" and it doesnt mean what you seem to think it does.
Do you work for Life Care?

Maybe you don't know you obtuse "primadonna".
"primadonna"
2 : a vain or undisciplined person who finds it difficult to work under direction or as part of a team

[Morgan Co Resident]

Morgan County's plan works fairly well but there are some differences - there are 3 towns stretched out between 25 miles so the call volume is a little spread out to realistically work from a single station. The user fees are a problem, federal and state laws change constantly requiring managers to stay on top of rule changes,and if the right wording doesn't appear, the entire bill is written off as non-payable.
Didn't mean to go off on a tangent (whole 'nother subject for another time) but let one thing be known. The county commissioners have had to transfer tax dollars into the ambulance service to keep it afloat. Yes it is an enterprise system and is supposed to be self-supporting, but in these times, again unless you want a $5000 ambulance bill for a non-complicated ride to the hospital, sometimes that is the only way you can make it work. And the county has the duty bu state law to provide ambulance service - not necessarily to create one, but the ultimate authority falls upon them to make sure it exists within the county.
Don't know what system will work best for you but there is some merit resource and financially, to having cross-trained personnel (firefighter and paramedic/EMT). It's back to the drawing board, good luck!

[Mmm Hmm]

SterTown wrote:

<quoted text>
Another issues I didn't like was the Tabor issues, which basically gives them in open checkbook if the sales tax isn't meeting expectations. Tabor was to allow them to spend money they made. I thought they were going to give the money back, if they made excess.

If the issue had passed, it would NOT have given them an open checkbook. That issue was specifically addressed by the four different attorney's who worked with the committee. NO tax increase could have happened without another vote of the people, period. What the issue would have done was to allow the Authority to spend additional money it might have gotten through grants and other sources. As an Authority it would be eligible to apply for homeland security (and other) grants to help offset training and equipment costs -- without the Tabor issue on the ballot, they couldnt have spent any of that money.

Those are exactly the kinds of issues that could have been addressed BEFORE the election if those who had them would have just bothered to actually visit with the committee or show up and ask questions at one of the community meetings.