Town holds ambulance hearing

Posted 1/19/22

With approvals from Maybrook and the Village of Montgomery under their belt, the Montgomery Town Board held a public hearing of their own, last week, on a proposal to create a town-wide ambulance …

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Town holds ambulance hearing

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With approvals from Maybrook and the Village of Montgomery under their belt, the Montgomery Town Board held a public hearing of their own, last week, on a proposal to create a town-wide ambulance district.

As they have done numerous times previously, Montgomery Town Supervisor Brian Maher and Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps Trustee Sylvie Rainaldi made a presentation.

Formation of an ambulance district would enable the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps to provide advanced life support (ALS) crews to answer calls anywhere in the town, including the three villages of Maybrook, Montgomery and Walden, enable the corps to staff a second rig for 12 hours a day in addition to one 24/4 and would eventually provide for a new ambulance facility.

The Town of Montgomery Volunteer Ambulance Corps currently receives $150,000 from the town’s “A” fund, which derives tax revenue from the three villages as well as the residents of the unincorporated portion of the town. A special district, however, would raise $800,000 in taxes, with the Montgomery Town Board entrusted with overseeing the budget. It’s been a source of concern among members of the Walden and Maybrook Village Boards that by opting into a town wide district, fiscal control would be ceded to the town board.

Town of Montgomery Police Chief John Hank voiced concern that “politics would kill this,” much as it did in the past when proposals to consolidate the four police departments within the Town of Montgomery were made. The villages, did not want to give up any control.

“It was a big step 35-40 years ago when the fire departments became districts,” Hank said.
John Hansen of Walden, a certified EMT said he was in favor of the ambulance district, as long as the budget process was overseen properly by the town board.

“…That this funding be meticulously be scrutinized as much as possible,” Hansen said.

The Montgomery Town Board took no action last week, opting to wait for an approval from the Walden Village Board. Maher and Rainaldi have already appeared twice before the Walden Board and each time left with questions from the Walden Trustees. (They were scheduled to discuss the matter again Tuesday night) They have already received approvals from the Montgomery Village Board, in December, and in Maybrook (last week).

The public hearing will resume at the regular town board meeting on Thursday at 6:45 p.m.