Treasurer warns dispatch fund shortfall, cites Frontier Ambulance contract and write-offs

Jim Anderson, Fremont County treasurer, told the commission a three-part analysis of the county dispatch fund showed long-running revenue shortfalls and asset‑replacement exposure. "Between the 3 of them, they make up about 90% of the total user fees that are collected into the fund," Anderson said of the Sheriff, Frontier Ambulance and the City of Lander, noting those agencies account for most dispatch revenue.

Anderson said the existing contract with Frontier Ambulance constrained the county's ability to bill more from that provider, and that Frontier's contracted dispatch fee has been effectively frozen at $234,500 "since the start of the contract." He described nearly $39,000 in outstanding AMR payments from 2021 and additional write-offs in later years, which he called "doubtful AR" and recommended writing off if collection was infeasible.

The treasurer outlined options to repair the fund's finances: cut expenditures, raise user fees, pursue grant revenue, or temporarily subsidize the dispatch fund from the county general fund. "If we decided to make the dispatch whole by filling in the gap," Anderson said, it would solve the immediate problem but longer‑term reforms — user‑fee restructuring, clearer asset replacement schedules and reducing write‑offs — would still be required. He flagged that depreciation schedules understate current replacement costs and that the county has used ARPA and LATC funds to infuse equipment in previous years.

Commissioners discussed the tradeoffs of subsidizing the fund versus pursuing joint governance or a standalone enterprise structure for dispatch. The board asked staff and the communications committee to return with options, including grant applications Anderson identified as potentially available in the near term.