Cross Plains finance committee reviews EMS financial scenarios if partners withdraw

Village of Cross Plains finance advisory committee members spent the bulk of their meeting reviewing a multi-scenario financial analysis of the regional emergency medical services (EMS) district and discussing how the village would be affected if partner municipalities reduce participation or withdraw.

Committee members said the report — compiled from member submissions and EMS budget documents — estimated total EMS operating expenses at about $735,001.62. The presenter separated those costs into roughly $497,000 in fixed costs and $237,000 in variable costs. Under the current allocation, the village bears about 58% of the district’s ongoing costs.

The committee emphasized why the numbers matter: personnel costs account for the largest share of the EMS budget, while billed ambulance-call revenue was shown in the analysis at about $240,000 a year (roughly a quarter to a third of total expenses). Committee members noted that, even if some variable costs decline when a partner leaves, fixed costs would remain near current levels and the village’s per-capita share could rise sharply.

Members raised questions about the underlying population and household-size data used to allocate cost shares. The presenters flagged a mismatch between household-size figures from the EMS data source (referred to in the report as CARPSE) and the 2020 census totals; one analyst said calculations such as “1,708 housing units times 2.56 persons” did not reconcile to the population figure listed in the EMS dataset. Committee members requested additional data and multiple years of call-volume records to confirm whether short-term anomalies were skewing the current-year snapshot.

The committee reviewed several scenario types: maintaining the status quo, operating a village-only EMS (the village “going alone”), forming new regional partnerships or a larger district, and contracting services to a private provider. Members discussed practical effects of each option: the status-quo option preserves existing contributions and shared governance; a village-only approach could require the village to absorb a much larger share of fixed costs; a wider regional district could distribute cost growth; and contracting out would require a separate cost-benefit analysis.

Committee discussion covered operational and nonfinancial implications as well. Presenters and members discussed volunteer staffing trends and training: several speakers said volunteer availability has fallen nationally and locally, increasing reliance on paid staff. The group also reviewed capital issues: the current ambulance purchase price cited in the meeting was in the low-to-mid $300,000s for the newest vehicles, while older model prices had been around $242,000 in prior years. Members discussed keeping an older ambulance as a backup and the maintenance and supply costs that implies.

Committee members asked for additional analyses before recommending a course: three to five years of call-volume and revenue data, a clearer reconciliation of household/population figures used for allocations, and sensitivity testing of the village’s share under multiple withdrawal scenarios. The committee’s timeline is to assemble a draft financial analysis for review at the June committee meeting, with a possible recommendation or presentation to the village board in July.

Next steps recorded at the meeting included: staff and the committee will refine the spreadsheet scenarios, obtain multi-year call and revenue data from EMS, clarify the population/household inputs, and produce the draft report for the June meeting so the committee can review narrative conclusions and recommendations prior to any board action.