Walden Ambulance talks resume

Posted 4/19/22

With a new ambulance service consultant on board for the Town of Montgomery, the Village of Walden is still trying to chart a course they hope will lead to an ambulance provider in the future.

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Walden Ambulance talks resume

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With a new ambulance service consultant on board for the Town of Montgomery, the Village of Walden is still trying to chart a course they hope will lead to an ambulance provider in the future.

The Montgomery Town Board, in March, approved a new contract with Emergency Management Resources LLC of Latham, NY to help create the new Town of Montgomery Ambulance District that is scheduled to go into effect in January of 2023. The Walden Village Board is the only municipality yet to ratify an agreement to enter into the newly-created town wide ambulance district. The Town Board had earlier voted to create a special ambulance tax district that included the villages of Montgomery and Maybrook, and the unincorporated portion of the town of Montgomery, excluding Walden. The hope and understanding at the time was that Walden might join the district at a later date.

But while Walden officials report that they are continuing to perform due diligence, they appear to be no closer to a decision on future ambulance service. At a recent meeting, Sylvie Rainaldi, a trustee of the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps asked if the village was prepared to sign a contract for ambulance service. At that meeting, former village trustee Mary Ellen Matise asked if the village had budgeted any money for ambulance service.

The answer to both questions appeared to be “no.”

“There’s no line in the budget for ambulance service,” Village Manager John Revella reported at the April 5 meeting. “(And) we were not asked to provide a contract. We’re at a standstill, as far as the public can tell.”

Mayor John Ramos said Walden residents contribute to the general fund (A fund) of the Town of Montgomery, which currently budgets $150,000 for ambulance service. Once the ambulance district is created, it would have the authority to raise taxes on its own. The proposal is to raise $664,000 in taxes without the contribution of Walden residents, or $800,000 if Walden is eventually included. Under that formula, a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $46.39 a year to support ambulance service. A home assessed at $200,000 would pay double that amount.

“Right now we contribute to general fund of the Town of Montgomery,” Ramos said. “There should be an assist with us if we have to provide eventual service.”

Should the Village of Walden elect not to opt in to the new ambulance district, it could contract for ambulance service for the village, either with the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps currently headquartered on North Montgomery Street, or with another ambulance service.

Ramos said he met March 25 with representatives of the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps. He said it ended abruptly.

Ramos said he and other Walden representatives also met with the town’s new consultant.

“We had a sit down talk with them,” Ramos said. “We gave them the ground work for them.”

Later in the meeting, the mayor was pressed by newly-elected Trustee Becky Pearson to disclose why the meeting with the ambulance corps ended abruptly.

“Somebody accused me of criminal issues,” Ramos responded. “I thought there wouldn’t be a good discussion.”

During the public portion of the meeting, former Mayor Susan Taylor addressed the board, pleading with them to do their “due diligence” before making any final decisions.

“Never during my 12 years on this board did I receive a presentation from the (Town of Montgomery) Ambulance Corps,” Taylor said.

She expressed concern about the possibility of ambulance employees becoming Town of Montgomery employees.

“If those of you sitting on the dais want to take a leap of faith,” Taylor said, “do it with your own money, not taxpayer money.”

Also addressing the village board last week was Rainaldi, who has made many presentations on behalf of the ambulance district.

Currently, she said, Walden property owners pay taxes into the Town of Montgomery’s A Fund which provides for ambulance. Starting in 2023, that fund will no longer provide for Ambulance service.

“If the Village of Walden is not paying for services through the Town of Montgomery tax district or village funding,” she asked, “who will be providing your ambulance services in 2023?”

For now, at least, Walden will wait for the consultants to do their work before providing an answer.