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Corinne council weighs ambulance options after Brigham City offers reduced proposal
Summary
Councilmembers discussed proposals for ambulance coverage after talks with Brigham City, which reduced a suggested contract from $102,000 to $50,000 per year; council explored mutual aid, county responsibility, volunteer/on-call models and costs of a local paid service estimated at $300,000–$350,000 annually.
The Corinne City Council debated options to secure ambulance service after recent talks with Brigham City yielded a reduced proposal and broader questions about county responsibility for emergency medical coverage.
The presiding official summarized options presented in a recent meeting with Brigham City municipal leaders: an initial proposal of $102,000 a year that Brigham City indicated it could reduce to $50,000 a year as a non-automatic mutual-aid arrangement. The official said, “I just wanted to report that they dropped it to 50 instead of a 100,000.” Under the reduced arrangement, ambulance dispatch would remain automatic but fire response would be on-call, the official said.
Council members pressed the math and the program implications. The presiding official calculated that $50,000 spread across an average of about 23 Corinne calls per year equates to roughly $2,200 per call. He emphasized billing complexities: insurers sometimes deny full payment, leaving ambulance providers to absorb unpaid balances or pursue collections. “They can't charge us and the patient,” he said, describing negotiations to avoid double billing and proposing that the municipality might cover insurer shortfalls to avoid sending patients to collections.
The council discussed alternatives: contracting with Brigham City at a negotiated price; asking the county to take a larger role in funding countywide ambulance coverage; maintaining volunteer or on-call local medical transport with stipends; or creating a local paid ambulance service. The presiding official gave an off-the-cuff estimate that two full-time ambulance staff would cost the city roughly $300,000–$350,000 per year in wages and benefits, substantially higher than the $50,000 option. Council members noted trade-offs: volunteer on-call models reduce recurring payroll costs but can increase response times and require stipend and labor‑law considerations.
Several council members urged continued talks with neighboring towns and the county to find a sustainable model before key changes take effect in April 2027. No contract or formal vote was taken; the council will continue to evaluate costs, county participation and mutual aid options.
