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Council reviews 2026 fee schedule including FireMed and ambulance rate changes
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Summary
Staff proposed a 2026 fee schedule with many fees rising 6%, building fees tied to the CPI-U Pacific Cities (3%), a FireMed change to $100 for the first household member and $25 per additional member, and a 6% proposed ambulance increase; councilors pressed staff for comparative data and clarifications.
City staff presented the proposed 2026 fee schedule and answered council questions about specific line items, comparisons with neighboring communities and the rationale for rate changes.
Staff said building-division fees are tied to the CPI-U Pacific Cities index and that building fees increased 3% this year. For other fees, staff proposed a 6% increase across many categories to close a perceived gap with neighboring cities. The aquatic center fee changes were presented as effective Jan. 1, 2027; other proposed fee changes would be effective July 1.
On the FireMed program, staff proposed charging $100 for the first household member and $25 for each additional household member, whether resident or nonresident, noting that the ambulance service area extends beyond city limits. Staff told the council that changing to the proposed FireMed fee structure would reverse an estimated roughly $30,000 deficit and move the program to an estimated $20,000 surplus.
Councilors pressed staff for comparator data. Staff said they use a set of comparator cities (Newberg, Gladstone, Monmouth, Independence) to check that fees remain competitive. A councilor asked about taxi fees in a town with few or no taxis; staff said councilors could amend or reduce particular fees if they wished.
On ambulance billing and fee increases, city staff said a 6% increase brings Dallas closer to peer EMS providers but that Medicare and Medicaid payment caps limit additional revenue from raising rates for those payor groups. Fire/EMS official La Verrante explained that a critical-care paramedic can provide higher-level interventions and that the higher billing rate reflects those capabilities, including “blood administration.”
What happens next: Staff will include omitted footnotes with the resolution packet and the council will consider the formal resolutions that implement these fee changes.
