Champaign City Council Rejects Ambulance License Fee Hike, Endorses Other Tax and Fee Increases

The Champaign City Council approved about one million dollars Tuesday night in new and increased fees to help balance the next budget. However, a big increase in license fees for the area's two ambulance companies was rejected.

It would have been a VERY big increase for Carle's Arrow Ambulance and Provena's Pro Ambulance --- jumping from the current 125-dollars a year to 20-thousand dollars a year. City Fire Chief Doug Forsman said the money would help pay their costs as first responder to emergency calls, which often includes assisting ambulance workers. Councilman Tom Bruno thought the increase was reasonable, when the two ambulance companies were considered in the context of the hospitals that owned them.

"It'd be very interesting to see how the the 20-thousand dollar fee we proposed compares to the annual marketing budget of either Provena or Carle," said Burno.

But the ambulance companies, especially Pro Ambulance, said their ability to provide service would be jeopardized by the 20-thousand dollar license fee, especially if other communities followed suit with their own fee hikes --- Urbana was already planning to do so. Council member Marcie Dodds said she thought the increase went too far. "A 16 thousand percent increase is just troubling," said Dodds. "I'm concerned with unintended consequences."

The ambulance license fee hike failed on a 4 to 5 vote. But Champaign council members approved several other new and increased fees, from a higher franchise fee for cable TV to a fee for truck drivers who miscalculate and get their rigs stuck under railroad viaducts. A final council vote on the budget --- including the fee increases --- is set for June 16th.