Fall River City Councilors introduced a resolution asking the mayor to request revocation of the city’s EMS enterprise fund under Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 44, section 53F½ and to establish a special revenue account for ambulance receipts. The resolution was presented during a committee and discussed at length at a full council meeting.

The resolution, read into the record by a council member, states that “the Department of Emergency Medical Services, EMS, within the city of Fall River is currently operated as an enterprise fund pursuant to the provisions of Mass General Laws, chapter 44, section 53 f and a half,” and that the council believes moving receipts into a special revenue account “will provide greater fiscal sustainability and flexibility for the city.”

Councilor Michelle Dion, co-sponsor of the resolution, said the administration has not yet decided whether to submit a formal request to revoke the statute’s application for the city and that no financial study has been completed. Dion said she and other councilors want to “work with you as counselors, to see what the positives and the negatives are.”

The EMS chief told the council there are ways the enterprise account can be better utilized to benefit other public safety agencies and noted that some practices — including a longstanding fee-for-service arrangement and year-end reimbursements from PCG — have not been systematically reviewed. The interim chief said the city receives an annual PCG reimbursement that results in periodic transfers; an example figure discussed in the meeting was about $329,000 in prior reimbursements.

Interim finance staff clarified that the PCG reimbursement is recorded as a revenue line and that the timing of the lump-sum PCG payment typically occurs in June, which is why transfers are recorded at year end. The chief and finance staff discussed indirect costs and examples of how EMS revenues have been used; the chief estimated indirects to EMS are roughly $4,000,000 and identified roughly $16.2 million as the department’s operating budget for FY26 as presented.

Councilors pressed for best-practice comparisons from peer cities and for clear financial modeling. One councilor said he reviewed 17 communities and found Fall River among the more aggressive programs outside of Boston EMS. Another councilor (sponsor) outlined the rationale for the change: EMS does not charge a traditional user fee the way water and sewer do but bills insurers for transports, producing retained earnings that the council could use more flexibly if revenues were in the general fund.

No final decision to revoke the enterprise fund was taken at the meeting. The council and administration agreed to produce a financial analysis and policy recommendations before the FY27 budget cycle. The administration said it would “look at this thing very well” and provide a full analysis in the months before the budget is submitted so the council can discuss options, which may include retaining or eliminating the enterprise fund.

Why it matters: The change would shift how ambulance receipts are recorded and could make some EMS revenues available for citywide capital and operating needs rather than restricted to EMS account rules. Councilors said the goal is to preserve EMS service levels while increasing fiscal flexibility for capital replacements and other public safety needs.

Discussion vs. action: The meeting produced discussion and a directive to do analysis; the council did not vote to revoke the enterprise fund. Councilors asked the administration for a timeline and financial model and the administration committed to deliver an analysis prior to FY27 budget submission.

Next steps: The administration will analyze alternatives, including how PCG and other reimbursements would be recorded, whether indirects and firefighter reimbursements will shift, and how any change would affect EMS operations and public safety response. The council asked to be briefed before final budget decisions.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during council discussion or read the resolution into the record and are listed in the speakers section below.