York Ambulance asks town for $180,000 to avoid service disruption

York Ambulance officials told the Select Board on June 22 that the agency is operating under severe financial stress and asked the town for an immediate $180,000 operational stabilization payment to preserve uninterrupted emergency service.

"We billed approximately 2.23 million for services in 2025. The amount ultimately collected was approximately 614,000," said Josh Allen, chief of operations for York Ambulance, in a presentation that set out the service’s finances and call volumes. Allen said the funding request would establish roughly three months of payroll runway while membership drives, grants and operational improvements are pursued.

Allen and Crystal Gay, the ambulance business manager, told the board that York Ambulance responded to 1,588 calls in 2025, of which 177 were billable transports and about 511 were non‑billable responses. He said that locally determined Medicare/Medicaid/private reimbursement rates often cover only a fraction of the true cost of modern EMS operations and that the shortfall cannot be absorbed by reserves and fundraising alone.

Select Board members said they were alarmed that the association’s cash‑flow problems were not raised earlier given existing contract filings and financial reports. "In a partnership there needs to be good communication," one member said, adding the board would be more constrained now because earlier notice might have allowed the shortfall to be absorbed into the FY27 budget process.

Town staff said they have convened a working group with public‑safety chiefs and Select Board members to evaluate short‑term options and long‑term contract solutions. The town manager said an immediate funding decision will likely be required within weeks and that a longer‑term budget or contract decision would need to be settled before December so it could be included in next year’s budget planning.

The working group will evaluate whether the board can use contingency funds or whether a special budget referendum would be required. The town manager noted special referenda have statutory lead times (roughly 45–60 days) and that the town’s discretionary reserves are limited.

Next steps: the Select Board scheduled the issue for follow‑up discussion at one of the next two meetings and directed staff to return with options that preserve service for the near term while showing a path to sustainable funding in the coming fiscal year.