Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council discusses rising Tri City Ambulance call volume and contractor transparency
Summary
Mayor and councilors reported increased Tri City Ambulance call volume and raised questions about the contract with Paramedic Services of Illinois (PSI), employee counts (32 staff) and cost-savings from the regional model; some members requested further review of contract revenues and write-offs.
During the mayor’s report, the presiding officer described regional ambulance arrangements under Tri City Ambulance: the service is staffed by a private contractor (Paramedic Services of Illinois, PSI) and currently operates six ambulances shared across Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles. The mayor said demand has risen and that the service employs 32 people under the contract.
Councilors asked how the service is funded and whether the contractual arrangement remains the most cost-effective model. The mayor said residents are billed for ambulance rides and the three cities each contribute a portion of funding under the contract; councilors noted there are write-offs and Medicare/Medicaid/insurance adjustments in collections.
One councilor urged greater transparency: he said he had asked for financial detail about PSI revenue and was told some information is proprietary and not provided; he asked that a budget breakdown and the contracted amount paid to PSI be provided for council review. Another councilor said consolidation has saved Batavia and St. Charles more than $1 million a year compared with an in-house model.
Council members agreed to continue the discussion and requested staff provide contract and budget details at a future meeting so the council can examine the longstanding contract and make informed decisions about future procurement or bidding.
Why it matters: Ambulance service procurement and contracting affect public-safety reliability, cost to taxpayers and operational oversight. Councilors signaled they want clearer budgetary documentation to understand contractor revenue and the city’s net costs.
What’s next: Councilors asked staff to supply a copy of the Tri City Ambulance budget and contract details for review at a future meeting and to consider whether a formal agenda discussion and possible re-bidding are warranted.
