By Jason Kaplan
Mayor James Gagliano and Supervisor Josh Wojehowski continue to meet with New Windsor EMS Captain Michael Bigg with regards to a new contract for basic and advanced life services, the mayor said at the September 9 Cornwall-on-Hudson Village Board meeting.
The current three-year contract is expected to expire at the end of June next year. The two local leaders have been notified the new contract rates will be higher than the current one because the ambulance corps lost some major funding sources, including transporting a patient on a regular basis and responding to calls in the City of Newburgh.
To make up for that loss, Bigg is looking for additional funding from the New Windsor board, as well as those in Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Per the current contract, New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps is providing both ALS and BLS service for $28,000 per month.
Gagliano said since the town and village represent one third of the population, he expects to cover no more than that percentage of the corps budget. To make up the difference, the mayor has already asked each department head, as well as the front office, to cut five percent from their budget.
Meanwhile, the two officials continue to seek state and federal funding to help cover the cost of the contract.