EMSA in OKC, Tulsa's helping out. I'm sure OKC would do the same

[guido911]

Just sign the contract,then you can see whats in it. 

Bwahahaha.

[Townsend]

a follow up TW:

Fund transfers put EMSA at odds with officials

EMSA officials faced tough questions Wednesday from board members and officials in Oklahoma City upset over fund transfers from the agency's Tulsa division.

Meanwhile, EMSA said it just learned it has $1.1 million in remaining funds from Tulsa's 2006 sales tax to spend on capital needs but doesn't need the money.

The Emergency Medical Services Authority is a government agency that manages ambulance services for more than 1 million people in Tulsa, Sand Springs, Jenks and Bixby, as well as Oklahoma City and numerous suburbs in that area.

At a meeting Wednesday of trustees who oversee the agency, trustee Ed Shadid questioned EMSA Chief Executive Officer Steve Williamson about an $800,000 loan from the agency's eastern division, which includes Tulsa, to the western division, which includes Oklahoma City.

Shadid, also a city councilor in Oklahoma City, said City Manager Jim Couch had sent EMSA a letter last month stating the city did not want such transfers to occur.

"We don't want a loan between divisions. We don't want to pay interest...I think the letter from Mr. Couch is pretty clear. We don't want this happening," Shadid said.

The Tulsa World revealed the $800,000 loan in a story Tuesday.

While residents in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City both pay optional fees on their utility bills for EMSA service, Oklahoma City does not give the funds to EMSA all at once as Tulsa does.

EMSA Chief Financial Officer Kent Torrence said the funds were transferred to cover shortfalls in the Oklahoma City division. He said EMSA has taken steps to avoid future borrowing between the two divisions by building up a reserve fund in the western division. Torrence said the western division is repaying the amount owed with interest.

The transfers also riled officials in Tulsa, who say they do not want fees from Tulsa subsidizing operations in EMSA's Oklahoma City operation.

Laura Johnson, assistant city manager for Oklahoma City, said the transfers "were a huge surprise to me." Johnson, who attended the meeting Wednesday, said Oklahoma City officials believed the deficit to be $200,000.

"One of the things we've talked about was that it should not be a surprise," Johnson said.

Torrence said the transfers were due to a large number of capital expenditures and the "ebb and flow" of budget cycles.

Johnson said EMSA should consider deferring capital expenses, adding: "There ought to be a better way to control the expenses."

Williamson said he had scheduled a meeting with Couch to discuss the matter.

"I'm trying to find a solution. We're not overspending the budget," Williamson said.

A Sunday Tulsa World story revealed that EMSA has spent funds over the years on items including a $1,000 Christmas tree, a $1,700 chair, a $9,000 area rug and a $3,200 barbecue grill. EMSA's spending in the current budget includes $44,000 for lobbyists and $104,000 for "community relations" statewide. The agency has budgeted $30,000 a year statewide for "website development" through 2016, records show. Trustees also approved a $200,000 remodeling project for the agency's corporate office in Tulsa at their meeting Wednesday.

Williamson defended the expenses, saying they were necessary items bought over time and some had lasted for more than a decade.

Shadid asked for a report on what services EMSA is getting for its money spent on lobbyists and public relations firms.

Williamson also told trustees that he learned Tuesday the city of Tulsa has $1.1 million in remaining funds earmarked for EMSA from the 2006 third-penny sales tax initiative. The $463 million package approved by voters included $3 million to fund capital needs for EMSA.

EMSA has spent $1.9 million so far on new ambulances but city officials told EMSA two years ago not to expect more, due to declining sales tax revenues, Williamson said. He said now that he has learned more tax money is available, "I just don't have a need for that money."

He suggested trustees consider an agenda item to discuss the leftover tax funds at their next monthly meeting.

Clay Bird, a trustee representing the city of Tulsa, said after the meeting he would favor using the third-penny funds for another city of Tulsa purpose.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111027_11_A1_CUTLIN525858

[guido911]

This is starting to pi$$ me off.

[Townsend]

It's frustrating.

It feels as though no matter how often they say "you'll get all your funding (back).", we never do.

I know this isn't to build a museum or something but it's money most of us paid and it's now being tossed out our ambulance windows.

[godboko71]

Will all there overhead there is no way they are cheaper then using our own fire department which I though was the reason we used EMSA.

[Townsend]

Will all there overhead there is no way they are cheaper then using our own fire department which I though was the reason we used EMSA.

I'm going with lobbying efforts.

[guido911]

I have been a ticked at EMSA since I was in a nasty t-bone car wreck in 2007. They left me loaded (no, not intoxicated  ) in the back of their ambulance for about 20 minutes for some stupid reason. I was less than a mile from St. Francis.

[nathanm]

Oh, gee, $30,000 a year for web development. That's so terribly expensive. 

[Breadburner]

I dont mind the grill as long as its used for the employees....But a 9,000 rug and 1700 dollar chair....pancakes......

[Townsend]

I dont mind the grill as long as its used for the employees....But a 9,000 rug and 1700 dollar chair....pancakes......

Huge stack of pancakes

[Breadburner]

Huge stack of pancakes

You cant W.T.F I guess.....

[AquaMan]

ha! Feces hit the fan and suddenly EMSA says they don't need the extra 1.6 mil they collected and we can keep it. What a guy. Thanks sir! May i have another!

Seriously, send me some of that PR money. I'll shut up.

[guido911]

Okay, who needs some of this after reading these articles?

[Townsend]

You cant W.T.F I guess.....

We can insinuate it with motherscratching pancakes though.

[Townsend]

There's another article about EMSA in the TW about ownership of the ambulances.

It looks like they're under a magnifying glass now.