Webster County residents are the latest to respond to a 2021 state law that lets voters approve raising local property taxes to support ambulance services.
Webster County voters Tuesday approved making EMS an essential service for its residents. The referendum passed with 83% support, exceeding the required 60% threshold. This means that there will be a dedicated tax of 75 cents per $1000 of taxable property value that will fund EMS annually throughout Webster County. It’s estimated that the tax will create $1.6 million for EMS service in the county. The levy will take effect on July 1, 2025..
Emergency medical services were never funded at the city or county level in Iowa until passage of the 2021 law that lets voter-approved tax levies support ambulance services. With Tuesday’s vote in Webster County, there are voter-approved EMS levies in 21 Iowa counties.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City/Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)