For the first time in six years, members of the Windham Town Council have voted to update Emergency Medical Service transport fees to remain capable of providing exceptional responses needed by residents.
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| Windham Town Council members voted unanimously Feb. to increase the Emergency Medical Service ambulance transport rate by 5 percent. It is the first such adjustment that councilors have made to the ambulance fee rate since 2020. COURTESY PHOTO |
Libby said the town transitioned to a fee-based emergency transport service in 1994 and the rate was last adjusted in February 2020. A new law in 2024 caps rate increases at 5 percent annually with a ceiling of 200 percent of Medicare available rate.
Windham currently is in a network with Anthem, Vermont Health Access, Community Health Options, Maine Care and Medicaid for EMS transport billing.
According to Libby, medical billing revenues do not directly fund the Fire-Rescue budget but are accounted for in town revenues each year.
“In 2024, we participated in a mandated Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection cost analysis for the 2023 calendar year,” Libby said. “Participation in that process indicated that we collected approximately $955,129 in medical billing revenue and our Emergency Medical Services operation accounted for 65 percent of our operating budget which at that time equated to $2,066,984. This amount also excluded any major capital planning or expenditure.”
By adjusting the EMS transport fee rate by 5 percent, Libby said that Windham will continue to meet regional standards while sustaining high‑quality emergency care and responsible healthcare billing.
Councilors voted unanimously to update the EMS transport fee rate.
In other actions on Feb. 24, councilors received an initial presentation from Windham Town Manager Bob Burns about the process to develop a 2026-2027 budget.
Burns said each town department started working on formulating budgets about two months ago and then submitted proposals for the town manager’s review. After careful calculations, Burns says he will submit a budget proposal that reduces town operating expenses by 0.7 percent.
The proposal continues investments in infrastructure, parks, public safety and trails and shows overall stability in many key revenue areas.
Under the new budget proposal, the town would add a truck driver position for Windham Public Works and a Shoreline Zoning position to work in that area if voters approve the budget during the annual town meeting.
He said the proposed budget will now undergo a review by the town’s Finance Committee and adjustments will be made until a final budget is submitted to the council during a public hearing on May 12. If the council approves, the budget will then be placed before residents vote on it at the town meeting in June.
Several other factors may have an impact for residents though, Burns said. He said one of those factors is the school district’s budget formulation, which is yet unknown, as is the county’s budget proposal. Burns told councilors that he’s heard Cumberland County may seek a budget increase to offset reductions in federal funding.
Burns said this annual budget proposal is calculated based upon many different factors and influences, including lowered projected revenues, the town’s general operating budget and fixed expenses, insurance costs, contractual obligations, energy costs, debt expenditures and personnel changes. Fixed expenses for the town included in the budget proposal include insurance costs, employee healthcare, contractual obligations for municipal organizations, long-term contracts, debt expenditures and wage adjustments.
Under the approved 2025-2026 municipal budget revenues were $18,377,698 while Burns projects that revenue for the 2026-2027 budget falls 13.1 percent to $15,971,859. Town expenses under the approved 2025-2026 budget were $34,679,954 while Burns projects that 2026-2027 town expenses will decrease 0.7 percent to $34,438,062. <
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