Following another extensive update about ongoing discussions relating to emergency medical services outside of the city limits, the Pella City Council will continue talking about how to handle Pella Ambulance services at their meeting Tuesday. Another policy and planning discussion is on the agenda following a session at their July 5th meeting, in which the council was briefed about ongoing negotiations between the City of Pella and surrounding townships about how to pay for ambulance calls.

The current fiscal year budget includes a $740,000 operating subsidy for Pella Community Ambulance. The city has served the surrounding townships and communities since they took over the ambulance service in 2022, and have offered that those groups pay $36,000 for the previous fiscal year and $66,000 to split the projected subsidy needed for services in 2023-24. The townships have asked for an additional year at that rate while the Marion County Board of Supervisors considers establishing a tax levy referendum for emergency medical services.

Read more from the memo to the Pella City Council here. The next meeting is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Pella Public Safety complex.