Dear Lebanon Friends and Neighbors,
I wanted to just remind you that this Tuesday, which is June 8th, is a very important day in Lebanon. It is the day that we vote on all the town referendums, including three for the rescue.
The first one is the new ambulance, which we desperately need. The key to this referendum is that we already have the donations and revenue to pay the bill, we just need your permission to expend the donations and revenue. Again, we already have the donations and ambulance revenue to pay for the ambulance and it will not cost any taxpayer money for this referendum question. This will help us tremendously as we continue to get more and more calls, we are already almost 150% busier then where we were just last year. This new ambulance will bring in more revenue into the town and help keep the rescue department self-funded. There have been several times, including today, that we have had to call in area ambulances for multiple calls in Lebanon. We have already had 5 calls in 8 hours and Frisbie has helped us. But there are several times when Frisbie or Sanford are tied up and we wait a long time for an ambulance, including one where a kid needed to go to the hospital and after multiple towns were not available, the state trooper took him. Why risk public safety when it’s not going to cost the taxpayer’s money and we have the money designated for it. Seconds save lives, just ask the family of the toddler who nearly drowned, but made a full recovery thanks to the quick work of our volunteers and bystanders. This ambulance will save lives. Last time it was beat by a handful of votes, PLEASE take the time and help us save lives.
The second referendum question allows the rescue department to expend the donations, user fees and ambulance revenue it brings in. Basically, if we have a really bad year where we use a lot more of oxygen or medications and the insurance company pays us to replace those items, this would allow us to ask the selectmen to expend that money the insurance company reimbursed us for to buy those same supplies. We could not expend even a penny more than we brought in. This item has no taxpayer expense either and helps us get needed medical equipment paid for by the insurance reimbursements. An example is right now we have run out of money for fuel, medical supplies and oxygen because of the serious increase in calls. The insurance company gives us the money for these services, but we have to wait till the next fiscal year to expend the money. We have a broken backboard, actually a few, that the insurance company money can be used to replace, but we cannot expend it until the next fiscal year after asking permission to replace the broken backboard. This question would allow us to use the money we get from donations or insurance to replace much needed medical supplies. There is no taxpayer cost, it is simply asking to expend money that we may get for the supplies and donations.
The third and final rescue question is a rescue ordinance, which is needed to allow the selectmen to set the annual Medicare rates for ambulance transports. We are required to hold a public hearing and then the selectmen set the rates at what Medicare allows us to charge. This is critical for us to pass, or we potentially could lose a lot of money in reimbursement and no longer be self-funded. I can email you the ordinance, this is critical for us to continue to be self funded and collect insurance from some major carriers.
All three rescue articles have no taxpayer costs and have actually helped the rescue be self funded since fiscal year 2006. We hope everyone comes out to vote on Tuesday, June 8, at the Lebanon Elementary School, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. You can also vote ahead of time by absentee ballot by going to the town hall or calling 207-457-6082. This equipment have saved a lot of lives, all at no cost to the taxpayers. We have the donations and revenue and just need permission to expend it. Thank you for your continued support.
On behalf of the nearly 50 volunteers with the Lebanon Rescue Department, which is one of the busiest all volunteer departments in the state, we thank you for your support. By taking 10 minutes to vote, you can help us save lives. Our volunteers give over 15,000 manpower hours a year to the community, let’s give them the equipment they desperately need and all at no taxpayer cost.
Please call me if you have any questions at all. (207) 608-5614
Sincerely,
Samantha J. Cole
Lebanon Rescue Chief
Chief Samantha J. Cole
Lebanon Rescue Department
Rescue Chief’s Office
323 Depot Road
Lebanon, Maine 04027
(207) 608-5614 Cell Phone
(207) 339-9488 Central Station
Emergency Dial 9-1-1
www.lebanonrescue.com
good luck samantha and crew, you have our vote! You guys do a great job and we have always supported you and you save the town hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to what they pay for ambulance service, plus you guys always do more!
I hope that we get a good turnout tomorrow, this vote is for 40 referendum questions that effect the town everyday. Its the people who decide how we operate, and this is a very important day!
Question 1 How will the other 4 years be paid?
Question 6 I fully believe if you can make the money you should be able to spend it. The only problem is the Question says in future years. This bothers me because if something happens and you run short on money and the taxpayers bail you out. The next year you could recoup and not have to pay us back. If it did not say in future years would be O.K.
Question7 Do the selectman know enough about running a rescue operation to set the fees? Do the selectman have enough experience to establish a department? What do you mean by Establish?
Me,
Thanks for the questions, they are all great questions.
As in the ambulance we bought in 2003, it is the same case, the revenue brought in would pay for the final years payments. It will actually help keep us self funded by bringing in more revenue but more importantly, it will help save lives.
Question 6 would stay the same , if we bring in 10.00, we can only spend $10.00. If next year we need more money, we would have to go to the voters at referendum and ask. We could not expend ANY money we have not brought in. We cannot borrow and pay back.
Question 7 is required and simply allows us to accept the medicare and medicaid rates. They set the rates and we accept them, we have to. This is a formal process. If we don\’t, they could decide not to reimburse us any.
one concern is if the state cuts back on medicare and medicade payments as they presently are how will this effect payments to the town from transporting patients? the budget committee voted unanimously Against referendum #6 because the taxpayer has no vote on how this money is spent. it is the selectmen to decide where this money is spent. why take the residents out of this decision? this would be for a band-aid or a new ambulance that our selectmen could decide the towns future.why change what has worked since the rescue started?
Thank you for the quick response. As long as you can fund yourself I believe you should be able to.
If the state cuts back and Rescue cannot support itself it will have to cut back. I think the people running rescue would know better than me how to spend the money. As long as they provide good quality care. It would be no different than if an outside vendor was providing the service. The only differance is the people are from our own town, people we hopefully know and trust. If they mismanage the money then take away their right to manage it. I feel the people in rescue have a better understanding on how to use the money than the selectmen. The selectmen may have a few more trees they need cut down.
we are so fortunate to have a department that is as excellent as they are and have no cost us anything. They are always winning recognition for their work, they came by my house during the flooding, they transported my neighbor to the shelter and they care.
I do not see why they even have to ask to spend the money if its coming in for the ambulance. If it replaces the air they use, then let them.
I asked about the referendum on the ordinance and the selectmen are required to set it, they have to have a public hearing and then accept it. The rescue will present it and its a technicality of the federal government trying to jip towns out of medicare money.
If they come to us a couple years down the road and ask us for a little money, i would support them if they say that some revenue was short or whatever. Waterboro spends over 1/2 million for ambulance service and has less calls and less people. Milton pays $200,000 for less calls and less people. We pay zero and get great service.
I support you guys 100% and will vote yes on all three questions.
Thanks for explaining what would happen the other years. I had wondered the same myself.
Good luck tomorrow, you have my support.
Thank you very much.
I am hopeful we get the items, we desperately need the ambulance. We had multiple days where we are calling in another ambulance and families are waiting. Its sad when we have the money and the people, but some people who may be mad at me vote against the ambulance, when its their neighbors they are hurting.
Good luck to everyone running and hope for a good voter turnout tomorrow!
thank you to everyone who voted and overwhemingly supported all three questions. (PS, if you notice, the email up top is from Samantha and I posted it for her, I wouldn’t want to express my opinions – not
)