News

Mo. Ambulance Board Makes Progress in Debt Payments

Sue Sterling

08/02/2016

Aug. 01--WINDSOR -- The Windsor Ambulance District Board has employed a tax consultant to help deal with state and federal debts, Board President Steve Galloway said.

Galloway said the consultant, Richard Ripper, Kansas City, Kansas, will advise the board on how to distribute the $81,895 the district has available this year to pay the debts, accrued when former boards failed to make required payroll tax payments.

The board voted at its July meeting to pay off the Missouri debt of approximately $32,000, and to pay $30,000 toward the federal debt that totaled $178,000 when the current board took office in June 2015.

The board also approved increasing the monthly payment to the Internal Revenue Service from $500 to $1,000, Galloway said.

Actual payments to the state and IRS will depend on what the consultant advises, he said.

The board has been paying $500 per month toward each debt but fines and penalties that continue to be assessed made it difficult to pay down the debt, Galloway said.

The district owed about $34,000 to the state when the board took over operation of the district, which had ceased operations after all the former board members, ambulance personnel and director resigned.

The district serves the Jefferson Township in southern Johnson County, portions of Pettis, Benton and Henry counties, and Windsor.

County commissioners in the four counties appointed the new board members after the former board members resigned.

Galloway, who represents Johnson County on the board, said the totals "change every day" after fines and interest are calculated.

The $500 per month "was the best we could do while we waited for the dust to settle," he said. "For the longest time, we kept getting bills we didn't know existed. We were afraid to spend money not knowing what else would come in."

He said, "We hope that everybody we owe has come forward" and the district now can pay more on the state and federal debts.

"We still have a lot of challenges to go through," he said, "but we're slowing seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."

Galloway said the board now is waiting for Ripper's proposal on how to distribute the money.

Ripper is reviewing information provided by the board, he said, to determine how much of the debt is fines and how much is interest.

"I hope we can get rid of the state (debt) and apply the rest to the federal bill," he said.

Dealing with the IRS has been frustrating, he said, with lengthy delays between correspondence.

"We're trying to work with them, but feedback from the federal government has been painfully slow."

Galloway Ripper believes the district is entitled to a reduction from the IRS and "is optimist we'll be able to save some money on the federal debt, and, hopefully, some on the state debt."

"I'm hoping we have some kind of recommendation by the middle of next week," he said.

The board also has enlisted the help of U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler in trying to negotiate with the IRS.

A case worker in Hartzler's Columbia office has been assigned, he said, and the district has sent all the documents requested.

"We felt like we'd try all kinds of avenues and see what develops," Galloway said.

The board, which has contracted with the Pettis County Ambulance District to provide service to the Windsor district, is also disposing of equipment and furnishings from the former ambulance building, he said.

An auction has been set for Aug. 27.

The district cannot sell the building, he said, because the IRS has a lien on it.

A new ambulance building has been secured and a garage for the vehicles built. The board plans to hold an open house in September.

Operations are running smoothly under the PCAD, he said, adding, "The community is overwhelmed with the care they receive from the EMS team."