By Mike Sprague
Whittier Daily News
LA HABRA HEIGHTS — City officials are considering placing a $100 per parcel tax on the ballot as a way of paying for its paramedic program and eliminating a $45 subscription fee the city charges so that residents won’t get billed should they need the service.
“We should make (paramedics) a fully funded program that nobody in this town has to think twice about calling for the service,” said Councilman Carl Westerhoff.
“I know people won’t be happy about this,” Westerhoff said. “I’m not happy about any taxation but I really feel this is the right thing to do.”
The City Council isn’t expected to act on any proposal at least until June when City Manager Shauna Clark will bring to them a proposal. Any tax most likely wouldn’t go to the voters until the next municipal election in March 2011.
City officials are concerned about the issue because the existing fire tax doesn’t cover the cost of the entire Fire Department. This year’s budget projects a deficit of about $137,000.
In addition to preparing information on a tax, Clark also is going to research ways to cut costs, such as a change in the deployment of paramedics.
“A lot of cities just have paramedic firefighters and no separate (truck),” she said. “It also includes looking at having the ambulance company be the first responder for medical aid.”
Paramedic service costs the city about $237,000 annually. It also received estimated revenue of $60,000 - mostly from collections from insurance companies.
Westerhoff said he doesn’t like the current subscription program, in part because it produces little net income.
The city receives about $15,000 from its subscription program. However, the cost to run it is about the same, Clark said.
Westerhoff said he also fears that some people - knowing the city is going to bill for a paramedic call - won’t call for help.
“That distinctly undermines the whole purpose of having the service in the first place which is to make the service readily available to residents,” he said.
Another concern is that the city still bills residents’ insurance companies who have bought in to the subscription program.
Clark said all the $45 fee guarantees you is that you won’t personally be billed.
“If you’re a subscriber, we don’t come after you personally (for the bill),” she said.
Councilman Howard Vipperman said that while he is in favor of a parcel tax to pay for the paramedic program, he wants to maintain the subscription program until that happens.
“Until we fully fund the paramedic program, giving residents an option to get an insurance policy for $45 a year protects them,” Vipperman said.
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