Whitefish accepts Baker Tilly cost‑of‑service report; consultants recommend large ambulance and fire fee increases

Summary

City Council received and unanimously accepted a Baker Tilly cost‑of‑service study for Whitefish Fire and EMS that recommends substantially higher ambulance and select fire response fees to reduce reliance on property tax subsidies; the council accepted the study but will hold future public hearings before any rate changes.

Whitefish — The City Council on May 20 accepted a cost‑of‑service study from Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors that finds the combined annual operating cost for the city’s fire and emergency medical services (EMS) substantially exceeds current service charges and recommends raising many ambulance and select fire fees to reduce general‑fund and levy subsidies.

The study, presented by Steve Scharf, director at Baker Tilly, and Matt Stark, manager for the project, recommended raising several ambulance charges — including advanced life support (ALS) transport rates — and adding new fees for some fire responses, such as gas‑line ruptures and “treat‑no‑transport” evaluations. Councilors accepted the report as presented; council members emphasized that accepting the report is not approval of new rates, which must be set later and require a public hearing.

The report matters because Whitefish’s population and payer mix fluctuate seasonally and the department is funded by a mix of a dedicated property tax levy, charges for service (almost entirely ambulance billing), and general‑fund transfers. Baker Tilly calculated fiscal 2025 operating expenses at roughly $1.5 million for fire and about $2.3 million for EMS. Annual ambulance billings ranged from about $1.5 million to $1.8 million, with net collections historically around…

Whitefish accepts Baker Tilly cost‑of‑service report; consultants recommend large ambulance and fire fee increases

Summary

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