HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 12-30 Aid for paramedics REVIEW •
Aid for paramedics
by Scott Carlson Tk
16
Prospects appear bleak for sustaining cost of such service. . ."
e the city has
Maplewood's police paramedic program But Art Roemer,state commissioner of been spring ploringand cwaysettoi finance the ser-
by passing special legislative funding revenue, in explaining the Levy Limit vice.
which would exceed the state levy limit Board's denial,indicated that the statute The state aid would have financed the
formula, a group of legislators told the had been superseded by subsequent levy program. The bill which provided that
city council recently. limitations and therefore was no longer relief to Maplewood passed the House but
The legislators — Howard Neisen, valid.
in the Senate.
William McCutcheon, John Milton and "Our city and city administration feel fa Milerr indicated that the late date in
Jerome Hughes—offered that dour view there is a compelling need for paramedic which the state notifies the city of its levy
to the councilmen,City Manager Michael ambulance service," Miller stated in a limit(September)and the quick mandate
Miller,Police Chief Richard Schaller and letter to the legislators. "However, to certify the levy in October leaves the
Lieutenant Dennis Cusick. without adequate funding we cannot city with little time to accommodate
"A local bill would have a real difficult continue to deliver or provide this ser- overruns in budget needs.
time getting through,"Neisen said at the vice."
Saturday morning (Dec. 20) meeting. The scheduling of thesewhdates makest x
Milton added that even though most the loss of nearmeeting, explained that impossible to know when to hold a tax
legislators would probably buy the con- state aids for Maplewood tlsessin on has cted referendum,hasMllto beinted out.beforeA the
cept of paramedics they probably would put a crunch on the cit bud et. "What cererenng of to held Octo the
October)
be hesitant to see an exception to the levy was to have come out of the hopper was if that certifying ti the annual mt is t be
October)
ncluded
limitation law. $200,000," he said. "But instead what in the followinglb budget yearn, he said.
Maplewood city officials, in calling for came out of the hopper was the same But the problem with holding an
the meeting, asked about the prospects amount that we got last year and the year election is that it would cost$4,000,Miller
for special legislative funding since the before that.
State Levy Limit Board has ruled that the "Frankly, for
"Thateoamount pressing
could be spent
gentlemen,we are hitting the for some of our pressing needs."
city is restricted from levying$189,000 for crunch and the only new program we can Neisen felt that no referendum would
police paramedics in its 1976 budget. cut is the paramedic service," Miller "stand a prayer".But Hughes,optimistic
Manager Miller had expected approval continued. He added that balanced on all accounts, contended, "If a
of the request for a levy limit exception budgets have been made possible only by referendum was held I think it could pass.
since a state statute allows the levying of aid through federal revenue sharing funds I th;nk the knowledge that the people have
"an annual tax over and above any and a total cutback on park development w-uld cause them to support the
statutory or charter limitation and may since 1971.
also impose reasonable charge for am- The paramedic program was approved F.ar Miller program."
bulance services in order to finance the through enablingstate legislation on last u pointedvout, however, that for
g city would have to hold a referendum for
twice the amount of the program to cover
any amount which might be put in escrow
as well as for funding in 1977.And he said
explaining that technicality for voters
could be confusing.
When talk turned to the possibility of
special legislation to fund the paramedic
program the prospects were not much
brighter.
Sen. Milton indicated that any bill
which is intended to allow funding outside
of the levy limit law would be critically
viewed.
He added that if a Maplewood bill was
rejected it could set back the move on the