By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

PARIS – Ambulance services for Oxford County’s unorganized territories remain up in the air after months of debate.

On Tuesday, the Oxford County commissioners again held off on deciding whether to use NorthStar Emergency Medical Services of Rangeley or Med-Care Ambulance of Mexico.

The commissioners first proposed switching to Med-Care after NorthStar requested $11,204 to serve the unorganized territories in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. That would represent a $6,266 cost hike over the $4,938 paid for ambulance service previously.

“I’m still not satisfied with the amount of money they’re asking us to pay,” Chairman Steve Merrill said Wednesday, referring to the NorthStar request. The ambulance service has been unwilling to negotiate a price, he said.

Commissioner David Duguay offered to talk with the company’s board of directors in one more attempt to bring costs down, and the commissioners decided to wait another month before making a decision.

In June, Med-Care Ambulance Director of Operations Dean Milligan said his company could provide services to Andover West Surplus, Andover North Surplus, Surplus C, Township C, Milton Township, Riley Township, Grafton, Richardson Township, Adamstown Township, Lower Cupsuptic, Parkertown Township, Lynchtown Township, Upper Cupsuptic, Oxbow, Parmachenee and Bowmantown for $7,500 for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. An additional, one-time fee of $4,000 would be charged to pay for the global positioning system equipment that would be installed in each of the company’s ambulances to assist with service calls.

Steve Brown, president of Med-Care’s board, has said the company would provide services equal to or better than those provided by NorthStar. He has, however, acknowledged that response time should be considered as the commissioners make a decision.

Mexico is farther than Rangeley from some of the areas that would be served by either ambulance company.