Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service’s operating budget for the next year is up just over 10%, leveling off after pandemic-era increases. Service Chief Nick Bryant said costs to member towns are not likely to make sudden jumps in coming years, though the service is attempting to stay ahead of rising equipment and personnel costs outside its control.
The operating budget for 2024 totals $1,876,106.85, an increase of $172,036.42 or 10.09%. CLC Ambulance’s service area is expected to stay the same, consisting of its founding towns of Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Nobleboro, and South Bristol, as well as Edgecomb and part of Jefferson.
Budget documents set contributions from towns to total $990,262.16 with $900,000 in billing expected to make up the rest. Town contributions are determined based on property valuation.
Bremen’s contribution totals $60,345.48, an increase of $7,913.48 or 15.09%; Bristol $296,291.39, an increase of $31,646.16 or 11.95%; Damariscotta, $99,027.01, an increase of $8,267.01 or 9.1%; Edgecomb, $74,764.08, an increase of $15,834.83 or 26.87%; Jefferson, $81,164.28, an increase of $25,363.32 or 45.45%; Newcastle, $81,940.76, an increase of $7,699.67 or 10.37%; Nobleboro, $99,496.23, an increase of $16,800.23 or 20.31%; and South Bristol, $197,252.93, an increase of $22,263.80 or 12.72%.
The only sizeable increases in this year’s budget lines are employee raises, insurance, and the capital reserve fund, which is used to purchase ambulances.
Ten percent raises for employees are intended to keep staff and help the service stay competitive as an employer, resulting in a payroll budget line of $1,393,906.85, an increase of $123,836.42 or 9.75%.
Like other providers across the state, the service has faced ongoing staffing challenges in past years.
“It always feels like we need one more (employee) than we have, but with pay increases and staying competitive, we’ve kept staff pretty well,” Bryant said.
The service even has a full staff of paramedics this year, which Bryant said was an achievement due to of the advanced licensing and education required.
Losing paramedics due to lower salaries would end up costing more in overtime to cover their absences, according to Bryant.
“We want to be fair to our towns and be as reasonably priced as possible,” Bryant said. “Paying them more now saves money.”
Capital reserve costs are up to $65,000, an increase of $20,000 or 44.44%.
The service has four ambulances. One should have been replaced two years ago, according to Bryant, but the replacement still has not been delivered after being ordered in August 2021. It may arrive this summer.
The price of replacing trucks has gone up “exponentially” in the past few years, an issue faced by other first responder agencies, according to Bryant. Due to the lengthy lead times, the service has put in an order for its next ambulance, set to be delivered in 2026.
Unlike a municipality, which can put large expenses out to bond, the nonprofit ambulance service needs to save up the cost of an ambulance in full. It is attempting to offset these costs with grants, according to Bryant.
The service’s revenue stays steady each year, and with the discontinuation of transfers, more of the revenue falls on towns. CLC Ambulance responds to about 1,820 a calls a year, Bryant said.
Insurance providers often do not reimburse the full cost of the calls, creating a larger gap. Last year, for example, the serviced billed over $2 million and collected about $900,000, Bryant said. Providers set their own scale for reimbursement. Medicare, for example, determines what the cost should be and reimburses 20% of it.
Member towns will vote on the service’s budget request at upcoming annual town meetings.
