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Wausau approves purchase of replacement fire truck pending sale of Ladder 2 and use of GEMT reimbursements
Summary
The Finance Committee approved a purchase request for a replacement truck contingent on completing a near-final sale of Ladder 2; staff plan to use GEMT (Medicaid) reimbursement to cover the difference and aim to submit GEMT paperwork before the end of the month.
The Wausau Finance Committee on June 10 approved a request to purchase a replacement fire truck contingent on completing the sale of Ladder 2 and using Governmental Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) / Medicaid reimbursement funds to cover part of the cost.
The city's fire chief told the committee the department is "getting very close to a final sale" of Ladder 2 to a department in Georgia for $1,100,000 and that only a few checklist items remain with the vendor and customs. The chief said staff had identified a suitable replacement truck — a completed demo model currently at a show — and that buying it now would save roughly $70,000 compared with later options. He said the purchase is being advanced to stay budget neutral with the expectation that GEMT/Medicaid reimbursements will offset the difference.
Alder Tierney asked about the sale timeline; the chief said he felt "very confident that we will" close the sale in the next week or two but acknowledged there are a few items left to complete. Mary Anne (staff) said the GEMT paperwork for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 will be submitted before the end of the month after additional homework and coordination among departments.
The committee approved the request on a voice vote after a motion from Alder Gisselman, seconded by Alder Tierney.
Why it matters: the purchase is contingent on an external asset sale and on successfully documenting GEMT/Medicaid reimbursements; staff said they do not yet have a precise estimate for reimbursement revenue but cited a comparable (Fond du Lac) that estimated about $250,000 for 2023. If the sale or reimbursement timing changes, staff said they would reassess purchase options.
