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An ambulance rig and medical personnel could be lodged in an outlying area, such as Carsonville, to cut down on response time and save on travel expenses, Tait said.

An ambulance board would be formed so participating communities would have more say in how the service is run.

"It would give control back to the users," Tait told the Croswell Council at its March 17 meeting. "We want to get them involved in decision making."

The city would like to place such a request before voters on the Aug. 5 primary ballot.

The proposal has been explained to representatives of the nine communities who now contract with Croswell and they are willing to consider it, Tait said.

An attorney must draw up the official ballot language before each community board can vote on it.

An attorney to draw up the language has not yet been chosen, Tait said.

Each community and Sanilac County would have to approve the wording of the proposal by a May 27 deadline, Tait said.

Voters would be asked to approve a separate millage to support ambulance service, similar to that approved when the Aitkin Memorial Library in Croswell became a district library.

The separate millage would spread the cost of maintaining Croswell EMS evenly throughout its service area.

It would eliminate the need for communities to renew contracts for service every few years. It also would eliminate the need for them to set aside money for service from their general budgets, Tait said.

Croswell EMS Director Jeff Dawson said a millage request of five-tenths is being considered.

"When we looked at our areas and evaluated how much it would cost, that's what we're looking at," he said. "That is the amount that would make up the difference between what it costs us to operate and what we collect from insurance companies in run fees."

If the proposal failed to pass, full control of Croswell EMS would remain with the city of Croswell, Tait said.

So far, Croswell has borne the sole cost of making up any deficits entailed by the cost of its EMS service.

A request to renew two-tenths of a mill for the Sanilac Medical Control Authority also will be on the Aug. 5 ballot.

Tait points out that, while the Authority provides training, equipment and oversight for county ambulance services, it provides no money for operating costs.

In other business, the Croswell Council:

*Approved a routine property tax poverty exemption resolution for residents who meet federal guidelines. The resolution authorizes the Board of Review to grant such exemptions, or partial exemptions in appropriate circumstances.

Requests for poverty exemptions must be applied for in writing on a form provided by the city prior to the Board's last meeting on March.

*Accepted a $100 donation from a ballet class that meets in the Croswell Community Center. Council member John Geiger suggested the donation should go directly toward maintenance of the community center.

*Approved a request from the Croswell-Lexington High School chapter of Students Against Driving Drunk to host a presentation in the community center this month and to waive all user fees. The group also planned to sell food and beverages.

*Approved allowing the Visiting Nurse Association to administer flu and pneumonia vaccinations in the community center on Oct. 14.