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Hall wants bigger EMS fee hike
Commissioners approved increase of $125 last year
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The Hall County Board of Commissioners is looking at raising Hall County EMS ambulance fees once again at this evening’s commission meeting.Hall County Fire Services Chief David Kimbrell proposed a 10 percent increase on ambulance fees at a Tuesday commission work session. Instead, commissioners asked the chief to present other options that would raise the rates even higher as they look ahead to potential shortfalls in the upcoming budget year.“Why don’t you see about another number up there and come back and share it with these commissioners?” said Chairman Tom Oliver to the fire chief.County officials say the burden of any hikes will largely fall on insurance companies rather than directly on taxpayers, and it could help the county reduce the gap between the operational budget of EMS and the amount collected in fees.“This, I don’t think is a profit center for us,” said Commissioner Craig Lutz at Tuesday’s meeting.The budget for Hall County EMS is estimated at $7.3 million dollars. In the current fiscal year, the department expects to bill about $3.5 million, still leaving more than half of its expenses to be made up through the county’s general fund.Still those collection estimates are significantly higher than from previous years because of a recent hike in ambulance fees.