Wassaic Residents Not Happy With New Ambulance Tax

AMENIA, N.Y. -- Residents of Wassaic are upset by a 171.7 percent jump in their fire taxes and are demanding that the Fire Commissioners do something about the drastic increase. They are also criticizing the Town of Amenia for not taking care of the problem for the entire area sooner, according to The Millbrook Independent.

Wassaic residents are upset that their fire taxes are jumping by 171.7 percent for free 24-hour ambulance service with on-call paramedics.
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K Reakes

01/20/2016 7:45 p.m.

During a meeting last week with commissioners, residents were informed the increase was due to a new contract for free 24-hour ambulance services with on-call paramedics. The tax is only for the Wassaic Fire District, or the lower section of Amenia, said The Millbrook Independent.

During the meeting, Jeff Barnet-Winsby, the head fire commissioner, explained that the fire district is being investigated by the State Comptroller's Office regarding the $500,000 ambulance contract with NDP that they signed last November, and then the commissioners adjourned for an executive session with their attorney, leaving residents hanging.

The city attorney did inform residents that a resident had filed a complaint, saying proper notice was not given to increase the tax, added The Millbrook Independent.

Click here to read The Millbrook Independent article.

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