Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Ems Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orrville council approves one-year Fire/EMS contracts after officials say city is subsidizing nonresident calls
Summary
Council approved Resolution 35-24 authorizing one-year intergovernmental Fire/EMS contracts for 2025 so the city can adjust billing arrangements; staff said the city often bills $850 per call while Medicaid reimburses roughly $250, creating a shortfall that leaves Orrville residents subsidizing services to nonresidents.
Orrville City Council on Nov. 4 unanimously approved Resolution 35-24, authorizing the Safety-Service Director to enter into one-year contracts with other political subdivisions for Fire and EMS services in 2025.
City staff said the shorter, one-year term is intended to allow more flexible billing arrangements with neighboring townships after staff concluded that a multiyear contract left the city unable to match actual reimbursement patterns. In the meetings discussion council heard that the city bills $850 for a typical EMS call while Medicaid often reimburses about $250, creating a substantial shortfall for services provided to many nonresidents.
"By law we are not allowed to charge anyone else. It is a losing proposition to go throughout the county and provide services when the majority of the time we are getting a fraction of what we are charging," the council was told during the discussion of the resolution. The council adopted the measure unanimously and scheduled follow-up committee meetings to negotiate terms with townships.
Officials said preliminary conversations with townships about a fixed-dollar model (similar to the citys contract with Baughman Township) met resistance. The one-year authorization is intended to give the city time to educate and negotiate with township officials about billing and payment structures.
The resolution does not specify dollar amounts for any new intergovernmental agreements; staff said proposed contract language and financial details will be discussed in upcoming committee sessions.
