Monthly fee can help pay Edmond's ambulances

EDMOND — I think the city council made a smart decision Tuesday to let residents have the choice of paying an additional $3 a month on their utility bill for ambulance service.

The monthly fee will pay for membership in Emergency Medical Services Authority’s TotalCare program. But if you prefer, you can choose to opt out and not pay a nickel more.

If the program had been in place at the beginning of the fiscal year, the savings to the city would have been more than $677,000, City Manager Larry Stevens said. With belts tightening everywhere these days, that’s money that can be allocated elsewhere.

The other day I had to take a ride to the hospital for a minor problem. If I had gone by ambulance it would have cost me as much as $1,000. In comparison, $3 a month is not a hardship on the family budget for something that might one day be life or death. What do you think? Will this prove to be a good program? Drop me a line and share your thoughts.

Neighborhood picnic

In other happenings around town, the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance’s annual picnic is coming up Sept. 24 at E.C. Hafer Park. This is always a fun gathering of the residents from neighborhoods associated with the alliance.

The organization has a long history of helping residents, especially home and property owners, by educating and informing them on issues and laws directly affecting them.

For more information about Edmond Neighborhood Alliance, go to www.enainfo.com.