Village Ambulance Recovering From Embezzlement

Dr. Erwin Stuebner told the board that new safeguards are in place to ensure Village Ambulance's financial security.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Village Ambulance Service is recovering from a major theft of its funding.

The Selectmen on Monday heard a report from the president of the board of the nonprofit service, who explained that the agency was making strides to recover from the damage done by the theft of $240,000 over a three-year period by its former general manager and business manager.

Dr. Erwin Stuebner told the board that new financial safeguards are in place, the board has been reconstituted to bring in individuals with business expertise, and the former employees are making full restitution as part of a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.

Albert Miller pleaded guilty two weeks ago and placed on three years' probation. The case of his wife, Cara Miller, the former office manager, is still pending.

"It's been a very frustrating time for the board, the president and our dedicated employees," Stuebner said, adding that rumors about the embezzlement were flying around town for some period of time before the first criminal case was resolved earlier this month.

"Now, we're able to tell people that our excellent service continued uninterrupted."

Stuebner also talked about the challenges to that service that were presented with the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital.

Williamstown Fire Committee Sees FY27 Budget with Sizable Operational Increase

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, March 31, 2026

The Prudential Committee held its first meeting in the new station in late March with Treasurer Billie Jo Sawyer, left and committee members Lindsay Neathawk, David Moresi and Craig Pedercini.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee last week reviewed a draft annual fire district meeting warrant that includes an operational expenses budget up 9.4 percent from the figures approved at the May 2025 annual meeting.

 

And, with a new line item added to the district's operational budget the total increase is closer to 24 percent.

 

Last May, meeting members — the meeting is open to all registered voters in town — approved an FY26 spending plan that totaled $686,991.

 

On July 1, the first day of the fiscal year, a special district meeting voted to allocate $40,000 from the district's stabilization fund to the operating budget, effectively raising the baseline to $726,991, a 34 percent increase, year over year, from FY25 to FY26.

 

The July 1 meeting moved $20,000 of stabilization funds to the firefighter pay line and $20,000 to the maintenance and operation line — nearly doubling the former and raising the latter by 75 percent from FY25 to FY26.

 

Both those lines are up again in the planned FY27 budget, but more modestly: 2 percent for M&O (up from $123,000 to $125,500) and 27 percent for firefighter payroll ($110,000 to $139,900).

 

Most of the other line items net out to no significant change; some are up a little, some are down a little.