Voters in East Moline will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether the city should start its own ambulance service.

It's been a contentious issue ever since last summer, when it was first proposed. The idea was instead of paying for the service, the city would operate its own and be able to generate enough money to pay for an additional firefighter position.

In November, at the request of opponents and city aldermen, the mayor hired an independent consulting group to review the proposal and numbers. Those findings can be found in an 18-page report released Monday. The Illinois Consulting Group says the report validates the fire chief's findings: that a city owned ambulance service could generate more revenue for the city.

East Moline Mayor John Thodos says he's not surprised.

"I trusted my chief and I trusted that his numbers were accurate. To me, this verified what he had been telling the council all along and telling the public," Thodos added.

An opposition group called "Citizens for a Voice" was quick to say the report holds no merit because the data was supplied by the city.

East Moline voters will have their say in the Illinois primary election, with the issue on the ballot. However, the results are not binding, and the city can make its own decision, no matter what the outcome of the vote.