Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Accession number |
2019.056 |
Catalog Number |
2019.056.523 |
Object Name |
Correspondence |
Date |
26 Feb 1985 |
Title |
Correspondence concerning Open Container information |
Caption |
Letter between Don Jones and Buzz Wojecki |
Scope & Content |
Handwritten letter to Mayor Don Jones of Bossier City from Buzz Wojecki discussing ambulance service in Bossier City. Don, Should you decide to continue ambulance service through the fire department or a permanent basis, and I wish to suggest the following method as the way to finance this. Rather than a sales tax, property tax, or roll forward I would like to pay a direct fee for a compulsory membership plan. The illustration above shows that if we spread the costs among a large enough number we can obtain a very modest fee to pay hypothetical example suggests that $3.00 monthly should be sufficient for a $750,000 budge. If you factor in the $400,000 Mr. Beach said the hospital could contribute in the first year this would reduce the monthly fee to approximately $1.40. The overall benefits to be gained from this approach and I think quite significant. 1. We could avoid the hassle of a sales, tax, roll forward or property tax increase. 2. Previous polls show a disposition by the public for this approach. 3. I presume that all that is necessary is an ordinance and vote by the council. This would be quick. 4. Revenue would begin to flow almost immediately. 5. We would not "tax" those revenue sources mentioned in #1 which could be saved for needed uses in the future. 6. An "enterprise budget" is less likely to grow as fast as one which is lumped into a general budget. We will be less likely to vote large cost increase where the cost is passed directly to the citizen. And on the other hand, we would keep the revenues current to expenses without subsidizing or as we sometimes say, "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul." (I hope) The possibility of this is certainly less under the fee approach. 7. Collection would be almost 100% since the fee would be tied to the water bill as the sanitation, sewage, etc. 8. The cost is shared by all the beneficiaries of having this service- residents, visitors, and business. 9. By "costing" service in this fashion we can avoid the pitfall of charging a ride fee and all of the attendant problems that go with that. By being a "member they get the service when they need it we hope) and for the small monthly amount they pay. 10. If you stop fire trucks and ambulances at the city line the "membership" take on an extra special meaning. In summary, this is the most painless approach to financing this service, and I believe that it is the way most citizens would prefer to pay given the alternative of various tax increases. Let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Buzz P.S. I have several computer programs left over from the Committee that may be of help in calculating costs and forecasting budgets. |
People |
Cuestas, Raul A. (Dr.) Wojecki, Chester A. "Buzz", Jr. |
Search Terms |
Ambulance Bossier City Bossier City Council Bossier City Politics and Government Cuestas Ambulance Riverside Community Hospital |
Imagefile |
058\2019056523.JPG |
Inventoried date |
2024-01-03 |