Village president seeks new Cross Plains EMS district agreement as residents warn takeover would erode service

Village President Jay Langfeld told the Village of Cross Plains Public Safety Committee on Aug. 19 that he wants to renegotiate — and, if necessary, prepare to withdraw from — the Cross Plains EMS District agreement because the existing contract is outdated and places disproportionate costs and decision authority on the village.

Langfeld said the district’s total budget is about $735,000 and that the village’s assessed share is $286,075. "We moved from a volunteer system to now a paid service," Langfeld said, adding that EMS now accounts for roughly 7.9% of the village’s levy-limit spending, up from about 2.3% in 2019. He said about $150,000–$160,000 of the district budget is covered by user fees billed to patients and insurers, and that the village accounts for about 65% of calls for service.

The proposal to seek a new intermunicipal agreement prompted multiple public speakers, including volunteers and career EMS personnel, to urge the committee to preserve the existing Cross Plains EMS District. Chief Tony, the district chief, warned committee members that a village takeover “will leave the village down a very dark and catastrophic flow that will actually obliterate your current EMS,” and cited letters from the Wisconsin EMS Association and the district medical director urging the district remain intact. Ellie Powell, a volunteer EMS member and resident, told the committee the district has operated successfully for more than 45 years and said, "If the village takes over, this service will completely dissolve, and you will no longer have anyone to answer the call." Linda Niebert, a longtime resident, also urged the committee to keep the volunteer-based services in place.

Why it matters

Cross Plains officials and residents framed the issue as one of governance, transparency and money, not an immediate change in how ambulances operate.…