By Diana Baldwin
The Oklahoman
EDMOND, Okla. — Only 5.4 percent of households decided to opt out of Edmond’s program to pay $3 a month for ambulance service.
The program with Emergency Medical Services Authority’s TotalCare started Nov. 1.
People have the option to pay the monthly fee on their utility bill in return for ambulance service for everyone living at the residence. Customers had until noon Oct. 31 to opt out of the program.
They now have to wait until next October to change their participation in the program that is designed to save money in the general fund.
City Finance Director Ross VanderHamm said 1,742 households opted out of the program. Another 1,778 households were unoccupied during the program’s first month, which ended Monday.
The total number of opted-out households and unoccupied homes is 3,520, or 11 percent, VanderHamm said.
City officials came up with the $3 monthly fee calculating 15 percent of the 32,035 households would opt out.
“This gives us enough money,” VanderHamm said. “We are getting what we need for this budget.”
Edmond joined a number of other cities, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, that charge monthly fees for ambulance services. It costs $1,100 for each ride in an ambulance.
Oklahoma City’s program began in October. The city’s customers are charged $3.65 monthly.
Tulsa was the first city in the state to start such a program two years ago.
The advantage is that officials don’t have to come up with money from the general fund to pay the city’s annual subsidy for ambulance service.
Edmond would have saved $677,379 in the general fund for the fiscal year if the monthly fee program was in place, City Manager Larry Stevens said.
City officials were able to adjust this year’s general fund budget by $420,000 because Edmond decided to go with the monthly fee for ambulance service.
The budget adjustment was needed because sales tax revenue has come in below projections, officials said.
Copyright 2009 The Oklahoman, All Rights Reserved