Washington County considers EMS tax for November ballot

WASHINGTON — A proposed property tax levy to help fund Emergency Medical Services could show up on Washington County’s ballots this November, alongside the conventional lineup of federal, state and local races.

An advisory council recommended the move, calling on supervisors to declare the local EMS system an “essential county service,” in order to authorize the new levy. While Washington County currently funds an ambulance service and has volunteer rapid-response teams in most communities, it’s not required to fund any of them under current law.

In a letter to the board, EMS Advisory Council Chair Jim Lester said the group recommended a levy of 50 cents per thousand dollars of valuation, which would generate around $740,000.

“The EMS Advisory Council believes this funding amount is needed to enhance the countywide EMS System and the proposed funding will provide important training and operational equipment for the volunteer and career EMS providers,” the letter said.

Supervisor Marcus Fedler said the revenue would boost Washington County’s ambulance department, plagued by budget issues in recent years, and help modernize local quick response services that provide emergency first-aid but don’t transport patients to hospitals.

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He said the $740,000 could be split 50-50 between the county ambulance agency and local quick response teams, who would divvy up their half based on their respective communities’ property valuations.

The volunteer services are mostly funded by pancake breakfasts and donations in small towns on the county’s outskirts, like Riverside, Wellman, Brighton and Crawfordsville. Tight budgets leave them with little money to modernize their equipment and stay interoperable with the ambulance agency, according to advisory board members.

“First responders, it would give them similar equipment, or give them access and money for similar equipment that our current ambulance service has,” Fedler said. “If they show up, they’ll have the same equipment we do … all the way down to the cot they’re on.”

The county has until the end of August to decide on the referendum’s wording and other details, as that’s the deadline before officials start printing ballots. The process will involve a series of public hearings and resolutions, according to County Attorney Nathan Repp.

While the advisory committee recommended a 50-cent-per-thousand property tax levy, supervisors have yet to pick a number for the November ballot issue. Iowa law allows the levy to go as high as 75 cents, for EMS services. Board of Supervisors Chair Richard Young said decision-makers would have to look over budget figures themselves before making the call.

“This will go into a special account, where it can’t be touched, except for EMS,” Young said. “I’m just trying to make sure that when we do this, we do it right.”

It’s not yet clear how much support the issue will get from voters. Iowa Code requires the ballot issue to pass with at least 60% approval to take effect. But earlier this year, community members harshly criticized Washington County’s budget, lamenting their increased tax payments as property valuations grew faster than levy rates were cut.

Interim Washington County Ambulance Director Katrina Altenhofen — who is also a member of the EMS Advisory Committee — said she had her fingers crossed for November.

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She said the money would be essential to keep emergency services on par with other counties, and ensure paramedic crews are consistently available when people need them. Other counties nearby, like Jones, Cedar and Lee, successfully passed their own essential service declarations with voter approval in 2022 and 2023.

“Right now, your counties have to provide fire service, they have to provide law protection, they do not have to provide EMS,” Altenhofen said. “You have to ask yourself, ‘How important is that for me?’ As a consumer of EMS product, I know it’s extremely important.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com