Ambulance District Budget Passes After Discussion On Wage Increases

The Ste. Genevieve County Ambulance District board approved a budget for fiscal year 2020 knowing that administrator Kendall Shrum still was working out the formula for staff wages.

Also during a meeting that lasted about two hours on October 23, the board tabled a final decision on purchasing another van-style ambulance until after it had received its first one.

The district was expected to take possession of its first van-style ambulance this week.

Discussion of the new ambulance took place before the budget discussion as Shrum wanted some guidance for finalizing the fiscal year 2020 budget.

The fiscal year begins on November 1.

The 2020 budget shows revenue of $2,093,500, which is $124,100 more than the budgeted amount for 2019, which was projected to be surpassed even before the district received notification of additional funds from Holcim (U.S.), Inc. The district received those funds in 2018 as well, Shrum said.

Expenses in the 2020 approved budget were listed at $2,012,046 after the wage number was set.

The budget included $90,000 for communications — an increase of more than $30,000 from 2019 — to repair and replace radios. It also showed an increase in contracted services from $39,900 to $61,950 because of a change being made by billing companies.

Much of the discussion centered around wages.

“I’ve got spreadsheet after spreadsheet after spreadsheet after spreadsheet,” Shrum said. “All of these are pay schedules.

“I’m still working on it. I do not feel comfortable with the employee not giving input back on a simplified method of combining longevity, year-end wage adjustments with their current wages.”

See complete story in the October 30 edition of the Herald.