On Wednesday, a group of mayors in Iron County stated their case for why the county’s ambulance services should not be sold to private ownership. The mayors met with the county government to discuss the future of the ambulance service. Iron County Commissioners initially put forward the idea of allowing private companies to bid for a contract to provide those services.
Emergency services in the county have seen significant financial woes lately. According to a letter sent to ambulance employees back in September, Commissioner David J. Miller claimed that the service had been operating under budget deficits for several years. A recent audit calculated the total debt to the tune of $2 million. Two years ago, the county’s ambulance service was merged with the sheriff’s department in order to save money.
Three bids have been received so far for a contract to provide ambulance services. It has not been decided whether any of the bids will be accepted.
