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Residents press board over Aston Ambulance Authority fee; commissioners point to authority governance and invite deeper review
Summary
Several residents challenged the new Aston Ambulance Authority fee (about $84) at the July 15 board meeting, asking whether it is effectively a tax and whether it can rise year to year. Commissioners and staff said the fee is set by the municipal authority formed after Crozer’s closure, described efforts to regionalize service and urged residents to attend the authority’s meeting for detailed fiscal and operational questions.
Several Aston residents used the July 15 public-comment period to press the township about an Aston Ambulance Authority fee roughly $84 per household and whether it functions as an ongoing tax.
"It's $84 now. What is the guarantee that this is gonna be raised year after year?" said Christian Moscato, a resident of 111 Marie Circle, summarizing a broader skepticism in the room about future fee increases and accountability. Bill Smith of 2985 Highwoods Drive called the charge "an aggressive tax that appears to be instituted to defray operating costs" and said businesses already account for operating costs in their models.
Township officials responded that the fee is imposed by the Aston Ambulance Authority, a separate municipal authority formed after Crozer Health System discontinued ALS (advanced life support) service to the area. A township commissioner explained that Aston appointed members to the authority board and that the authority — not the Board of Commissioners — sets fees and manages billing and operations. The commissioner said the township pursued other options, including soliciting bids from hospitals and the county, before forming or supporting the authority.
Officials emphasized that insurance and Medicare reimburse only a fraction of ALS costs. "Insurance reimbursement pays only a tiny part of what the cost is," a commissioner said, noting that balance billing and other shortfalls are common statewide and that regionalizing the service through an authority can reduce the per-household burden.
Residents pushed back on that rationale. John Chernick of 215 Bridal Lane asked whether neighboring municipalities were using similar fees; township staff said some municipalities contract directly with third parties while others are exploring or joining authorities, and that Aston moved earlier in response to Crozer’s closure to limit higher per-household costs.
Several officials and residents repeated that the Ambulance Authority holds a public meeting next Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the same room and that more detailed financial disclosures and governance questions are properly addressed there. The township recommended that concerned residents attend the authority meeting for line-by-line budget and operational explanations.
The board did not take any formal action on the fee at the July 15 meeting; commissioners described the discussion as informational and redirected constituents to the authority for formal accountability and potential changes.
The authority meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.; participants who raised concerns at the board meeting said they planned to attend.
