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Whitefish council raises ambulance fees and adds fire-response charges after wide-ranging debate
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing and debate about fairness to uninsured residents, the Whitefish City Council adopted Resolution 26-01 to raise ambulance fees roughly 22% and add new fire-response fees (automobile-response hourly charge and a gas-leak fee). The measure passed 5–1.
Whitefish — The City of Whitefish on Jan. 5 adopted a package of fee changes that raises ambulance charges and establishes new fees for certain fire responses, prompting an extended council discussion about the effects on uninsured and underinsured residents.
City staff and the Whitefish Fire Department recommended a roughly 22% increase to the city’s basic ambulance, ALS and mileage fees, and proposed new recoverable charges for fire-rescue responses. Dana (city manager/staff presenter) told council the recommendation tracked an inflationary approach rather than the larger consultant proposals; staff said consultants’ cost-of-service analysis would have raised fees as much as 21%–67% depending on the line item, but city staff recommended a lower, CPI-linked increase and a narrower set of new fees.
The new fire-…
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