An proposal to increase ambulance fees is shot down by the Moline City Council Tuesday night.
In the Committee of the Whole meeting, the vote to raise rates was spilt, 3-4.
The fee increase would have generated an extra $250,000 more a year for the city. In 2010, Moline collected $1.28 million in ambulance fees.
Interim Public Safety Director/Police Chief Kim Hankins and Finance Director Kathy Carr are behind the proposal. They say the recommended rates are based on an average of 12 private- and hospital-based ambulance providers in the region.
Moline's ambulance service is getting a lot of attention this year. Just a couple months ago, City Council voted to privatize its ambulance service as a way to save money. In light of this discussion, some are wondering why privatizing is necessary if raising ambulance fees will raise revenue.
The city's former fire chief says he was "outraged". He said he believes the city is ignoring new revenue streams and compromising public safety.