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Willard Council weighs running its own ambulance service; staff to deliver cost scenarios
Summary
After Brigham City signaled it may charge Willard roughly $300,000 per year for ambulance coverage or withdraw service, city staff presented a plan outlining capital and recurring costs, revenue estimates, and options (including mutual aid or a district). Council asked staff to return with line‑item startup and multi‑year replacement scenarios.
Council spent substantial time reviewing a staff proposal and financial model for starting a municipal ambulance service after Brigham City told Willard it may require additional payment to continue coverage.
Staff presentation: Van summarized a proposed building addition to house ambulance operations and a preliminary capital and operating budget. Staff presented one‑time equipment costs (a new ambulance and medical equipment were listed at roughly $101,000 on a planning sheet, though staff said refurbished equipment could be cheaper), recurring annual medical‑supply and equipment service costs (estimated in the low tens of thousands), personnel/stipend costs (roughly $89,000–$90,000 annually depending on coverage options), and software/billing fees (ImageTrend annual fee shown at about $7,700). Staff also described billing and collection: Gold Cross Ambulance was proposed as a billing partner (they would bill on Willard’s behalf and take ~5% of collected receipts), and staff estimated annual billable transport revenue of roughly $120,000 but cautioned that Medicare/Medicaid rates will reduce collections.
Policy options and council direction: Council discussed alternatives — paying Brigham City a standby/contract fee (a figure cited in discussion was about $300,000/year), forming a joint ambulance district (which would reduce local control), or building and staffing a local service phased over time. Members raised questions about who pays for county residents served by Willard, how to set discounted transport fees for Willard residents, and how to fund capital (restricted funds, rooftop assessments, or county contributions). The council directed staff to prepare two scenarios by the next Thursday work session: (1) a startup scenario listing one‑time capital and the first‑year operating costs with projected revenue and (2) a multi‑year scenario that includes replacement/reserve planning (e.g., ambulance replacement over a five‑ to seven‑year horizon).
Why it matters: Starting municipal ambulance service would shift transport costs and responsibilities to the city, create capital and recurring budget obligations, and affect mutual‑aid relationships and county negotiations. Staff emphasized the need to model realistic revenues, collection rates and replacement costs before any final commitment.
What’s next: Staff will deliver the line‑item scenarios and a 5‑year replacement contingency by the next work session to allow the council a clearer financial comparison between paying Brigham City and running a city service.
