The Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service Board of Trustees discussed upcoming changes to the cost-sharing formula during a meeting Monday, May 18.
The current formula, which was approved by stakeholders in June 2022 and expires in January 2027, solely uses state property tax valuation to determine the amount owed by the six founding towns – Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Nobleboro, and South Bristol. Prior to that, contributions were calculated using 50% call volume and 50% valuation.
CLC Ambulance also serves Edgecomb and part of Jefferson by contract.
“There’s been years and years of discussions on the formula and how to be fair to each of the six member towns as possible, and it has gone in all kinds of different directions in the years that I’ve been here,” Bristol representative Joe Rose said during the May 18 meeting.
Many of the involved towns are interested in changing the formula to balance out the costs of the service.
Some of the ideas for the new formula discussed by the group include dividing 60% of the budget equally between the six towns. The remaining 40% of the total cost to be determined on factors such as population or drive time to different areas.
Another consideration was equally divided the share in to sixths. Attendees expressed concerns about the idea because a town withdrew from the organization or if a new one was added, the distribution of the formula would shift.
Service Chief Nick Bryant said he is going to spend the time before the board’s August meeting projecting hypothetical costs. Attendees agreed they wanted time to see how call volume, tax valuation, and population could play a part in determining the formula.
South Bristol representative Betsy Graves said the decision on cost-sharing formula does not lay only in the hands of the people in the room, but the residents of each town. During the time in between meetings, town representatives said they would be looking for community input to help with the process
The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31 at the Central Lincoln County Ambulance station, at 29 Piper Mill Road in Damariscotta. For more information, call 563-7105 or go to clcambulanceservice.org.
