Resolution paves the way for tax to fund EMS

MARENGO — A resolution adopted by Iowa County Supervisors Friday would pave the way for a voter-approved emergency medical services tax.

Supervisors Keven Heitshusen, Chris Montross and Seth Meyer voted to approve the resolution, and Supervisor Abby Mass voted no. Supervisor Jon Degen abstained because of a possible conflict of interest.

The EMS Association and the EMS Advisory Council requested that EMS director Adam Rabe bring the resolution before the Board of Supervisors again, Rabe said. He first brought up the subject of a voter-approved tax for ambulance service in July.

The state of Iowa first approved a levy for EMS in 2021, said Rabe, but he hadn’t brought the proposal to the Board of Supervisors until a few months ago.

The resolution declares that Emergency Medical Services is an essential service in the county, which allows the county to levy a tax for it.

This opens up more funding if the county wanted to do that, said Rabe. The county would have to conduct three public hearings before it could put the question on a ballot, and a levy has to be approved by 60% of voters, Rabe said.

Some counties have passed the resolution but haven’t put the issue on the ballot, said Rabe. Twenty-one of Iowa’s 99 counties currently levy a tax for EMS, he said, including Benton County, he said.

Maas, who took part in the meeting by phone, thought the resolution was premature. “Would it be possible to wait until we get an idea what our budget even looks like to see if we even need anything like this?” she asked.

“You can do this, Abby, and not even do the levy,” said Rabe. But if the county decides to put an EMS tax levy on a ballot, the first step in the process, passing a resolution to designate EMS an essential service, will already have been completed.

Maas said she has no problem declaring EMS an essential service, but she wouldn’t vote for the resolution with the levy language in it.

Rabe said Assistant County Attorney Tim Dille looked over the resolution before Rabe presented it two months ago.

“This is not saying you’re going to have a levy,” said Rabe.

“I don’t think we’re ready for this yet,” said Maas. She wants to wait to see if the money is needed.

“I can tell you I need four new GKG machines” said Rabe. He doesn’t have the money for them, he said.

Rabe also said that employees have left because the county didn’t give raises this year.

Even if the county started the process now, a vote couldn’t take place until the fall of 2026 and no money would be available until the fall of 2027, Rabe said.

Maas said she has some creative suggestions as to how to make the county budget work.

“It’s one of the steps out of the way,” said Heitshusen, in case the county wants to pursue a levy in the future.

And it tells EMS that the county values it, said Rabe. It sends a message to the employees.

Maas said she does value EMS and would vote for the resolution without the levy language.

But the levy is the point of the resolution, said Heitshusen. “It’ a step that’s necessary.”

“This just gets us through the first phase,” said Rabe. Maybe the county won’t need it.

But if the county does need more money for EMS, the resolution paves the way for that. “The funding’s not there like it used to be, and costs are going up,” said Rabe.

“We need to be creative on funding,” said Meyer, “but I don’t see any problem with taking that step.”