Embattled Harris County Ambulance Service Running Up Big Legal Bill
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Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services has spent nearly $85,000 in five months on legal fees, a lot of it spent fighting requests for records detailing how they spend the millions they make from Harris County taxpayers and the government issued 911 contract.
“This is money that could have been spent on medical supplies and fixing deteriorating ambulances” says Dolcefino Consulting President Wayne Dolcefino. “Taxpayers should be outraged.”
Facing a deadline last Friday to produce records or facing new potential criminal charges, CCEMS provided some new documents, but continues to keep secrets.
The ambulance service for half a million Harris County residents has already been charged by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office with a crime for refusing to turn over financial records under Texas non-profit laws, and CCEMS has ignored an Attorney General ruling to detail who is on their payroll, instead deciding to sue the State of Texas to keep their secrets.
CCEMS is also facing a lawsuit from a former medical billing company accusing the Executive Director Brad England of steering the lucrative contract to relatives of a top executive.
ESD #11 oversees the CCEMS contract, and sets the tax rate for 911 service for half a million Harris County Residents.
The budget for CCEMS in 2015 is more than 20 million dollars. CCEMS operates 13 full time ambulances, and 3 part time ambulances.
A Dolcefino Consulting investigation has questioned the almost daily entertainment expenses of Executive Director Brad England, including dinners and drinking at Perry’s Steakhouse.
“Taxpayers subsidize 911 service to the tune of millions of dollars. They have a right to know if the money Cypress Creek makes from their government contract is going to defray medicine and ambulance costs, or to wine and steak, says Dolcefino. They certainly have a right to know the names of the people their taxes are paying. It’s not that complicated.”
office 713-360-6911
wayne@dolcefinoconsulting.com
