Rescue's fiscal practices 'worse than we thought'

Attorney Bradley C. Morin (Courtesy photo)

An attorney with the Sanford law firm that now serves as Town Counsel said on Tuesday the situation involving the Rescue Department’s billing practices is “worse than we originally thought” and said wholesale changes are in store as the town moves to solidify the department’s fiscal house.

“A lot of info has been coming to light in the last week and the town is taking a hard look at the management and billing practices of this Rescue Department,” said Attorney Bradley C. Morin of Bourque and Clegg. “The department and the town will be working with the next chief to implement many changes to the billing practices to ensure this revenue problem is fixed as soon as possible.”

It was two weeks ago that it was revealed in a special meeting with Morin, town auditors and selectmen that the Rescue Department owed the town more than $200,000, when it was supposed to be a self-funding entity as represented to and voted on by residents several years ago at town elections.

Rescue Chief Samantha Cole

Included in the $200,000 deficit is almost $100,000 in receivables, some dating back to 2008, that had never been pursued for collection. Comstar, the ambulance billing service used by Lebanon Rescue, had recently said the town should charge off the $100,000 as uncollectable assets.

A week after the meeting Rescue Chief Samantha Cole and her husband, Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole, both tendered their resignations effective at the end of the year. Jason Cole also resigned as town selectman halfway through his three-year term.

Morin also noted that the roles in the present relationship between a nonprofit corporation such as the Lebanon Rescue Squad, Inc., and the Town of Lebanon Rescue Department had to be more closely defined than at present.

The Coles are among the current administrators of the department’s nonprofit corporation, Lebanon Rescue Squad, Inc.

 “The town is looking at the current arrangement involving a nonprofit corporation teamed with a town rescue department and looking at the moneys that comes in and to see how they are spent,” Morin said. “When an interim chief is selected he’ll be working very closely with the Board of Selectmen to ensure that the services are being provided but at the same time the department is functioning well financially.”

When asked whether the town would ever consider attempting to seize control of the assets of the Lebanon Rescue Squad, Inc., Morin refused to comment.

He did say, however, that, “the Rescue Corporation needs to be answerable to the town, and the current dysfunction cannot continue.”

He also said that subscription money long sought as a donation to the Rescue Corporation should have, in fact, been going to the town.