SANDPOINT — At Wednesday's Bonner County EMS fee increase hearing, county commissioners voted to raise the price for public services by 15% and to institute a non-resident fee per service. 

The last time fees were increased was in 2020. Since that last increase, EMS call volume has increased by 20% and operating costs have grown significantly due to inflation. As billing revenue accounts for almost 40% of the EMS budget, it was agreed by the district’s board that a fee increase needed to occur.  

“Our operating costs have been eroding reserves, we need to build those back up again,” Lindsey said.  

When a customer is billed, 55% of the bill is given back to BCEMS. The increase in fees is projected to increase billing revenue by at least 10%. 

To help raise expenses, the district also proposed an increased non-resident rate that would bill non-residents an extra $2 per mile and an additional $200 per service.  

“The reason I wanted us to add a non-resident [rate] is during our peak season with people traveling, they're out-of-state non-residents that we have an increase in providing service to and it kind of impacts our infrastructure, and every bit helps,” said Commissioner Asia Williams. “We needed to make an adjustment to address non-residents.” 

Questions were raised by County Clerk Mike Rosedale and community members about the increase rate, suggesting that the proposed increase was too low given the district's financial position and the economy's heightened inflation. Commissioners Ron Korn and Brian Domke, while in favor of the improvements, proposed that the district should consider a higher increase. 

“As we better realize what our future costs are, because we haven't finished restructuring the ambulance district, we don't yet know what those costs are going to be, but I do believe that the current increases are greater than 15% in our costs over the last five years based on relevant data that is available,” shared Domke.  

Given the research by Lindsey and deliberation by the board, it was determined that a 15% increase was the best starting point for updating fees. The board will reevaluate the ambulance district’s rates at the end of the year.  

County commissioners voted in favor of the fee increase and non-resident rate. The amended rates will go into effect May 1. 

    Bonner County EMS fee increase