The cost of an ambulance trip could be going up in Clark County.

The Winchester Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday to increase rates across the board for ambulance runs for patients.

According to the plan, rates would increase from $12 to $14 per mile, a non-emergency advanced life support run would go from $700 to $725, emergency ALS from $700 to $875, non-emergency basic life support from $500 to $520, emergency BLS from $500 to $650, level 2 ALS from $800 to $1,000 and specialty care from $850 to $1,175.

Winchester Fire-EMS Chief Cathy Rigney said the department has not raised its rates, other than mileage, since 2015.

The proposal was a result of meetings with the department’s billing company and discussions with the city-county EMS committee.

The city commissioners, though, did not include a proposal to charge $150 for calls where patients received medical treatment from EMS, but were not transported to the hospital. Rigney said such runs could include an overdose where EMS administered Narcan, but the patient refused to go to the hospital afterward.

Such runs, though, only accounted for 31 of the department’s 964 EMS runs in 2019, she said.

“It’s not that big a number,” she said. “In my opinion … it’s not financially feasible at this time.”

The commissioners approved the proposal unanimously, but it must also be approved by the Clark County Fiscal Court. The county pays a portion of expensed for EMS operations. Winchester Fire-EMS provides fire protection within the city limits, but provides EMS services to all of Clark County.

Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner said the proposal cleared the EMS committee on a 4-2 vote, with city commissioners JoEllen Reed and Ramsey Flynn voting no.

Later in the meeting, the commission approved the second readings of personnel policy amendments to add higher education reimbursements and educational certification incentives for all city employees, based on their department.

In other action, the commission:

— approved the first reading of a budget amendment which took approximately $800,000 from the general fund to cover the new incentive programs and other expenses. The amendment passed unanimously, but not without some concern.

“We need to be very diligent on what we spend for the rest of the fiscal year,” Commissioner Shannon Cox said. “We adopted the budget in June. We changed it in September. A Now we’re changing it again. I’m urging restraint … for everybody.”

— accepted the resignation of Lisa Vincent from the Main Street Winchester board.

— approved a bid of $4,869 for Interstate Environmental Services to remove asbestos from 12 and 32 Lincoln St.

— approved a contract for $24,897 for DMH Construction to for a pipe repair project on Winn Avenue.

—awarded a bid of $4,900 to Grant’s Excavating for demolition on Lincoln Street for $54,900.

— approved hiring Sarah Campbell as an administrative assistant/receptionist.

— voted to terminate the employment of firefighter III/EMT James Schallner.

— appointed Janna smith to the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Board for a four-year term.