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Brigham City staff propose per‑call fees and contract revisions as county and neighboring towns resist paying for ambulance and senior services
Summary
Staff briefed council on a feasibility study and recommended a cost‑sharing model for ambulance coverage beyond city limits and a reassessment of aging services funding after Boxelder County declined previously budgeted payments; staff estimated outside jurisdictions' fair share at roughly $800,000–$900,000 collectively and said they would draft an ordinance to recover costs.
Brigham City staff told councilors they are considering formal steps to recover the city’s cost of providing ambulance and senior services outside its corporate limits after multi‑year shortfalls and limited success negotiating voluntary contracts with neighboring jurisdictions.
Staff summarized the county‑commissioned AP Triton feasibility study and outlined a cost‑share model that apportions subsidy by population, call volume and property‑tax value. Using that model, staff said outside jurisdictions that receive Brigham City’s ambulance and medical coverage would collectively owe roughly $800,000–$900,000 per year to cover the portion of the fire and ambulance subsidy that currently falls on Brigham City taxpayers; Perry City is the sole neighboring jurisdiction the city has contracted with to date.
Staff explained practical limits on recovery: under current state rules the city can only bill for transports (mileage and level of service), and collections recover roughly 38–40% of the maximum billable amount because insurance and Medicare/Medicaid reimburse at lower rates. Staff noted many calls are non‑transports (treated on scene), for which billing is not allowed, so a per‑call ordinance or interlocal agreement would be required to recover the broader operational subsidy.
On senior services, staff said Brigham City provides congregate meals and aging services for the south end of Boxelder County under a subcontract with the regional agency (Bragg), but that recent county commissioners’ decisions have left the city carrying a larger share of the cost. Staff said Boxelder County has not made a roughly $117,000 donation in the last two budget years, increasing the local subsidy and prompting the city to track congregate‑meal residency more closely.
Staff told councilors they would prepare an ordinance and presentation with options to: (a) adopt a per‑call fee for ambulance coverage outside city limits, (b) pursue interlocal contracts, and/or (c) adjust the Bragg subcontract to limit some aging‑services benefits to city residents if outside funding does not materialize. Council directed staff to return with ordinance language and fiscal modeling rather than take immediate action.
