The Mason City City Council meets tonight to discuss the ambulance situation in Cerro Gordo and Worth Counties. At issue is whether the city chooses to pay a subsidy to Snell’s Ambulance to continue the services they have provided to Mason City and the surrounding communities for 55 years, or whether to start their own ambulance service through the fire department. A long-term committee made up of local government officials in the two-county area currently served by Snell’s recently recommended they stay as the provider by a narrow seven-to-six vote. The Mason City City Council voted 4-to-2 in January to drop out of the “request for proposals” process and approved the fire department as the city’s ambulance provider, but that vote was rescinded after false allegations of the council breaking open meetings laws in making that decision. Councilman Jeff Marsters has requested that Snell’s provide the city audited financial records prior to tonight’s vote, which Snell’s provided to the city on Friday. Tonight’s meeting begins at 7 o’clock in the Mason City Public Library.
