Vote on Floyd County EMS Tax Levy Could Be Year Away

Officials in Floyd County are once again prepping for a vote on a tax levy to help fund emergency medical services (EMS) in the county.

Earlier this year, Floyd County and the City of Charles City agreed to a new contract with AMR Ambulance to continue providing private service, while paying $400,000 a year to help subsidize AMR’s operating costs.

EMS Advisory Council chair Patrick Lumley says an EMS tax levy would generate funds to help the City and County establish and operate its own public ambulance service.

Public or private ambulance, Lumley says the biggest challenge to providing service is not running at a deficit.

Lumley notes that a County-run ambulance does open the door to more federal subsidies and grants to help cover costs.  

A Floyd County EMS tax levy to raise over $550,000 a year for 10 years failed to get the 60% majority YES vote to pass last November. So, Lumley says the EMS Advisory Council has been gathering information from counties who were successful in getting EMS tax levies passed in the last year. They heard from Osceola and Jones counties during their meeting last week.

The EMS Council opted not to put the measure on the ballot this November to avoid competition with the $28.5 million bond referendum for Charles City High School. The earliest it could be up for vote again is next March.