East Area Volunteer Emergency Services wants DeWitt to create a new ambulance district that can tax property owners in the northern section of the town, including the village of East Syracuse. The DeWitt town board took the first step Monday night, voting for the district. East Syracuse village board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday in the...
East Area Volunteer Emergency Services wants DeWitt to create a new ambulance district that can tax property owners in the northern section of the town, including the village of East Syracuse.
The DeWitt town board took the first step Monday night, voting for the district. East Syracuse village board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday in the village hall, 204 N. Center St.
Residents in the proposed district will get the final say in a referendum on Nov. 2
Village residents would pay more for their ambulance service under the proposal, but would be paying the same rate as town residents in the ambulance district. The change would spread the cost out more evenly, according to DeWitt town officials.
Currently, the village pays about $12,000 annually to East Area Volunteer Emergency Services (EAVES), and village residents pay about 6 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, according to John Curulla, town of DeWitt comptroller. Residents in the northern part of the town pay about 25 cents per $1,000 for the towns $250,000 contract with EAVES.
With the new ambulance district, village residents costs would increase to about 20 cents per $1,000 and town residents in the district would see their cost decrease by a nickel. The cost would become a line item on their tax bill. The new district would cover 10 square miles.
Vincent Stevenson, president of EAVES, said the community-based ambulance service needs a guaranteed funding stream, rather than negotiating individual contracts with the town and village each year.
"We need that tax subsidy to keep us here in the community, he said. "It helps to ensure our future here. Setting up an ambulance district makes it part of the budget every year."
The town of DeWitt would still have to approve EAVES budget.