The impasse between L’Anse Township and Bay Ambulance has been resolved.
At yesterday’s meeting, township trustees agreed to pay the $60.30-per-resident rate that the other Baraga County townships had already approved. The payment structure will be stretched out as part of a compromise with the ambulance service.
Bay Ambulance had announced last summer that rates would need to be doubled, because of skyrocketing costs for equipment, vehicles, and personnel. Each Baraga County government entity then went to their taxpayers with millage requests to support the hike. L’Anse Township officials initially considered a two-mill request, but then backed it off to 1.5 mills. The request was overwhelmingly approved by township voters.
The 1.5 mill levy turned out to be insufficient, falling $41,000 short of this year’s commitment. Township officials then announced that they would pay Bay Ambulance no more than the amount they collected, and declined to sign the contract for service. Bay Ambulance continued to provide service without a contract, while differences were worked out.
The impasse also affected residents in the Village of L’Anse, because L’Anse Township serves as their tax collection agency.
Township Supervisor Pete Magaraggia said his dispute was not necessarily with the cost itself, but with the per-resident formula by which the cost is allocated…
Taxes are collected on a property value. If it’s a senior citizens tax, we don’t say “How many senior citizens live in Arvon Township, how many live in Covington Township.” Everybody pays the same. All taxes are pretty much like that, except this one.
Magaraggia feels that gives the townships with fewer people a financial advantage…
They have more property value and fewer people. We have more people and not the property value to cover it.
Magaraggia was the only trustee to cast a “no” vote on the compromise agreement.
Magaraggia and several citizens attending the meeting again questioned the need for such a dramatic increase, even though Bay Ambulance held several community meetings in advance of the election to explain the price hike, and the issue was covered extensively by local media. Bay Ambulance Director Gary Wadaga explained it in detail in our Copper Country Today program on July 7th last summer. You can hear the episode here.
