A funding freeze five months into the calendar year isn’t sitting well with the chief of Middlesex- London Paramedic Services.
“The early projections were forecasting a $750,000 difference from the expected funding we've received from province of Ontario,” says Neal Roberts.
Then a letter from the Ontario government last Tuesday informed them that their 2019 funding would be the same as 2018.
Roberts adds that typically they are behind a year on their 50-50 funding from the province.
“In 2019 we would expect to receive 50 per cent of 2018's approved budget, plus a small economic increase. In reality we are receiving funds on the 2017 budget that we received in 2018."
Roberts will present his case to Middlesex County Council Tuesday afternoon.
County CAO Bill Rayburn tells CTV News his perspective is simple, “We will be reopening our budget and the shortfall will be requested as an amount to be gathered by the Middlesex-London property tax base. We are not in a position to reduce services to cover this funding shortfall.”
The warden of Middlesex County isn’t thrilled about having to possibly pass the cost onto the taxpayer, “When we look at our budget process, we look at things line by line,” explains Kurtis Smith.
“Our budget is the lowest possible it can be. With the cuts now we can only look at reopening the budget, but realistically there isn’t much to shave off."
Back at EMS Headquarters, Roberts says they will look internally for efficiencies and better ways to run their operations.
“We're four months into our budget year, and we have to figure out how we are going to cover the rest of this fiscal year...We realize this is taxpayer funds, and we're accountable to the taxpayer as to what we spend.”
