Weatherly discusses ambulance funding

There will be no ambulance tax in Weatherly in 2018, but council members are still looking at ways to help their local EMS workers.

Council recently discussed a request from Greater Weatherly Ambulance Association to levy a tax for ambulance service, but the idea fizzled after concerns that it would raise less money than the ambulance already gets through memberships.

“We definitely have to do something. Where would we be without an ambulance?” Councilwoman Theresa D’Andrea said.

The idea came up last week as borough council voted to advertise a proposed budget that keeps taxes level with 2017.

With ambulance company President Karl Hinterleiter in attendance, councilman Joseph Cyburt brought up the ambulance association’s proposal from earlier this year. Hinterleiter said that growing expenses have negatively affected the ambulance’s finances.

“Salary is what’s killing us,” Hinterleiter said. “The trucks are old, they’re nickel-and-diming us. We applied for a grant, but we didn’t get it.”

Under state law, council can charge a 0.5-mill tax solely for the ambulance company. In Weatherly, that equates to about $25,000 per year that could be put toward the ambulance.

Ambulance officials say they would give up $25 memberships if the borough passed a tax. Councilman Harold Farrow said the tax might not bring in as much money as the company already makes through memberships.

“Us going with half a mill isn’t going to help them if they drop membership,” Farrow said. “The first thing people are going to say is, ‘I’m a taxpayer, you put half a mill on my taxes, I’m not joining.’ ”

The borough has a $52 per capita tax that goes toward funding police, fire and roads. But solicitor James Nanovic said that revenue is already allotted in the 2018 budget.

The Greater Weatherly Ambulance Assocation serves the borough as well as Lehigh, Lausanne and Packer townships. Hinterleiter said he hasn’t had any success getting them to consider an ambulance tax.

He said that by his best guess, about 600 of the 1,800 adults in their service area currently purchase memberships.

In most cases, insurance or Medicare will cover about 80 percent of the cost of an ambulance ride. The user is required to pay the difference — about $127 for basic ambulance service. A membership means you don’t have to pay that amount.

Cyburt expressed frustration that a tax would actually hurt the ambulance, but he hoped that council could assist the ambulance next year.

“I wanted to address the situation, come up with some kind of logical situation where you can benefit. I definitely don’t want to do something and hurt you,” Cyburt said.