A tax levy to provide funding for emergency medical services (EMS) in Floyd County will be on the ballot this November.
During their meeting Monday (08.26), Floyd County Supervisors passed a resolution for the ballot measure, based on the recommendation by the EMS Advisory Council, for an EMS Tax Levy to raise up to $670,000 a year for five years. The majority of the funds, to be raised through property taxes, will be used for the creation of a County-run ambulance service.
That’s Supervisor Chair Mark Kuhn, who says the County is left with the EMS Advisory Council EMS plan after his pitch last week to the Floyd County Medical Center (FCMC) Board of Trustees on an alternative proposal to establish an EMS “trust fund” failed to garner support from the hospital.
While FCMC Trustees did not get behind Kuhn’s proposal, he noted others who were.
The Supervisors’ plan would’ve raised about $450,000 a year for five years and called for FCMC to eventually pay a third of the contract the County and the City of Charles City have with AMR to continue with the private ambulance service.
Instead, Floyd County voters will be asked for the second time in two years to approve an EMS Tax Levy to help establish a County-run, public ambulance service.
An EMS Tax Levy to generate up to $556,000 a year for 10 years failed to get the 60% supermajority vote to pass in November 2022.
