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Vestal presenters seek $985,000 annual taxing district to shore up volunteer emergency squad
Summary
At a July 24 hearing Vestal Emergency Squad leaders and the county EMS coordinator said fee‑for‑service revenue and insurance reimbursements no longer cover rising costs; presenters asked the town to authorize an ambulance tax district expected to raise about $985,000 annually (roughly $0.42 per $1,000 assessed).
The Vestal Town Board on July 24 heard a detailed presentation on establishing a Vestal Volunteer Emergency Squad ambulance tax district to stabilize EMS operations.
Jerry Schultz and Mark TOMCO of the Vestal Emergency Squad described multi‑year operating deficits, capital‑equipment needs and rising personnel costs. "We're asking for $985,000 a year," Mark TOMCO said, and meeting materials translated that request to an estimated rate of roughly $0.42 per $1,000 of assessed value — about $42 annually for a $100,000 home and more for higher‑valued properties.
Presenters said the squad responds to about 4,000 calls a year, operates multiple ambulances and fly cars, and relies heavily on fee‑for‑service billing that does not cover total costs after insurer and Medicare reimbursements. The presenters said agencies have run deficits since 2021 (they cited roughly $250,000–$300,000 per year previously, with this year projected at over $600,000) and that capital replacement and rising insurance and salary costs have increased pressure on reserves.
Dave Tina, identified in the meeting as the Broom County EMS coordinator, told the board that Vestal’s EMS plays a substantial role in county coverage and that the loss of the Vestal squad would degrade county response times. "It would be devastating to our system," he said, citing national response‑time guidance and county mutual‑aid reliance.
During public Q&A residents asked about salary increases, mutual‑aid reimbursements and vehicle use policies. Officials said medics’ starting pay had risen in recent years to remain competitive and that mutual‑aid reimbursement is available when the squad transports patients. Presenters said vehicles taken home by on‑duty personnel are for operational response, not personal use.
Officials and presenters said a vote was anticipated "on the 14th," though the record does not specify the month for that vote. The public hearing was then closed.
