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Council reviews 2025 budget previews; ambulance base‑rate may be raised to recoup $40,000 in missed revenue
Summary
City staff presented preliminary 2025 enterprise fund budgets and said the sewer fund includes a $100,000 transfer from the water fund and a PFA loan repayment; an internal survey found ambulance base rates about $400 below neighboring services, producing an estimated $40,000 annual revenue gap that councilors said could be addressed by rate increases or a new billing company.
City administrators presented an initial look at New Richland’s 2025 enterprise and general fund budgets during the Nov. 12 meeting and flagged items for further review ahead of final adoption in December.
Key numbers presented: the water fund showed projected revenues of roughly $300,000 and expenditures near $312,000 in the initial worksheet; the sewer fund projection reflects a $100,000 operating transfer from the water fund and a principal/bond payment of about $132,000 tied to a PFA loan. Staff said some figures remain provisional pending county payments and final insurance calculations.
On ambulance revenue, staff reported that a recent survey by Mark Griffith found New Richland’s base rate for BLS ambulance service is about $400 below the area average. Based on roughly 100 calls, that gap could represent about $40,000 in missed revenue. Staff proposed increasing the base rate and switching billing companies to improve collections; they noted higher rates may also increase the amount of accounts written off when patients cannot pay.
Councilmembers asked staff to continue refining numbers, confirm county payment timings, and provide final insurance quotes before December’s budget adoption. Staff also noted some capital and operating decisions (including potential street projects and storm‑sewer obligations) will intersect with grant funding possibilities.
