Reduction reflects increase in population

MOSES LAKE - The ambulance fee featured on utility bills in Moses Lake is decreasing.

The Moses Lake City Council approved a resolution for a 24-cent decrease on the first reading during the Tuesday night council meeting. The city council must adopt the resolution on a second reading at a future council meeting to make the decrease official.

The ambulance fee is currently $3.58 per month.

The fee alleviates some costs for the ambulance service. The fee was instated so citizens who are in need of an ambulance but unable to pay for it can use the service.

The fee covers everyone who lives in the city limits of Moses Lake and visitors. If someone who does not pay the fee but is in need of an ambulance and they are at a place where the resident pays the fee, then they are covered too.

Fire Chief Tom Taylor said the fee is lowered because there are more people using utilities, which increases the amount collected. He said the city is only allowed to collect a certain amount and when they collect too much, the fee is lowered to balance the fund.

The fee was first imposed approximately one year ago, Taylor said. The fee is reviewed once per year to make necessary adjustments and has the possibility to change next year.

He said use of the ambulance service increased approximately 14 percent since the inception of the fee.

Councilmember Richard Pearce said citizens might be using the service more because the service costs less.