Easton, Pa. Mulls Charging Insurers for Emergency Services

The city of Easton, Pennsylvania is mulling whether to shore up its budget by charging fees to respond to vehicle accidents and fires.

Officials said they would hire a for-profit company to do the collecting. The administration proposed the ordinance after Cost Recovery Corp. of Dayton, Ohio, offered its billing services.

Some City Council members only want bills to go to insurance companies, not people — especially residents who already pay taxes.

If the ordinance is approved, the emergency services deployment fees would be in addition to the $52-a-year emergency municipal services tax approved last year for people who work in Easton.

Specifics about fee amounts and how they would be collected have not been worked out.