(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell reports the Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a special session Tuesday morning, during which they held the first of three hearings required in the process to place the county funded EMS on the ballots this fall, to replace the private business that now provides the service to Shelby County. The private ambulance service has notified County officials it will be stopping service in the upcoming years. The public is encouraged to comment with written comment or in person about the intent and EMS resolutions regarding the intentions of the Board of Supervisors.

The Supervisors received comments from Shelby County EMA Coordinator Alex Londo. Londo thanked all of those who were involved in the last year and a half of preparation and planning for the countywide emergency medical services to be put in-place by the voters. The current private provider is retiring, and 24/7 staffed services will be provided countywide if all prerequisite proceedings are accomplished and a vote on a public measure passes with a more than 60% voter approval. Local volunteer EMS services will also be funded by the proposed ballot measure. Londo mentioned many relevant documents are and others will be available on the Shelby County Website.

Tim Plumb of the Irwin Volunteer EMS and EMS Advisory Council said that years ago they had 18 trained volunteers, that number has dropped to 4 in that organization. Working outside of town and training requirements were mention as a few reasons for the drop in volunteers. Plumb mentioned that this is not just a local, but a nationwide problem in rural areas. Plumb said Cooperation with neighboring counties is important and does happen with the rural volunteer organizations. Larry Madson, a Trustee for Monroe Township, had questions about one county having Countywide EMS and one County not providing the service and how would these situations be solved. Those present said cooperation between volunteer organizations is and has been happening for years, it was implied that the same cooperation would happen with a countywide EMS service.

Having no more apparent comments for the hearing, Schaben made a motion to close the hearing and approved a Resolution, Declaring Emergency Medical Services (EMS) an Essential Service in Shelby County, and setting forth a funding mechanism for said services, and recognizes the need for the appointment of a Shelby County EMS System Advisory Council to provide guidance, research, and direction of EMS in Shelby County for the Board of Supervisors. Upon adoption of a resolution declaring emergency medical services to be an essential County service…a county board of supervisors may offer for voter approval the authorization to impose any of the following taxes or a combination of the following taxes: Local option income surtax not to exceed 1%. An ad valorem property tax (proportionate to the estimated value of the goods or transaction concerned) not to exceed seventy-five cents per one thousand dollars of taxable value on all taxable property within the county.

The resolution will be considered and voted on for approval at two meetings by the board prior to the third and final meeting at which the resolution is to be finally approved by the majority of the board and notice of the first meeting of the board at which the resolution was considered and voted on was published not less than sixty days prior to the date of the meeting in one or more newspapers. The Resolution states “There shall be placed on the ballot to be voted on at the general election to be held on November 7, 2023, a proposal to fund Shelby County Emergency Medical Services by the imposition of the following taxes or combination thereof:

• A local option surtax not to exceed one percent (1%);
• An Ad Valorem property tax not to exceed seventy-five cents ($.75) per one thousand dollars ($1000.00) of taxable value on all taxable property within the County.

The Supervisors then discussed and approved a Shelby County Fair Boards request of consideration to enter into a lease agreement for the purpose of having a tractor available at the Shelby County Fairgrounds this coming summer. The Shelby County Fair Board will receive a substantial discount if the Supervisors approve this lease agreement and contribute $1.00 towards the lease. The Shelby County Fair Board will pay the insurance costs and liability and any other costs associated with this agreement. The tractor will be stored at the fairgrounds and available for use during the races at the Shelby County Speedway.

Resolution 2023-31 was then discussed for an amendment to the 2023 budget. Auditor Mark Maxwell explained that the Medical Examiner Department is required to pay for State Medical Examiner Autopsies for Shelby County residents and the amount this year has exceeded $12,000 over the largest amount ever spent for autopsies in a years’ time in Shelby County.  If an autopsy is ordered for a case that involves an out of county, Iowa resident, that home county is charged back for the Shelby County expenses. The expenses, Maxwell says, have outpaced receipts received by other Counties by under $1,000, none the less the extra expenditures must be amended.  Last year $17,000 spent, the year before $12,000 was spent. In 2023, year-to-date expenditures are $36,000, with $12,000.00 occurring in May alone.

A payment in July of 2022 that was accrued to fiscal year 2022 was one factor that put the Risk Management Department over budget by about $6,700.  Property Insurance premiums paid in the same department in December of 2022 had over normal increases that used up reserve spending in that department also. That department is less than $12,000 over budget in spending including the accrued payment in July.  Auditor Maxwell is awaiting an answer from the Counties Auditing firm to see if this amendment would be needed if it happens again.  A few departments have had excess revenues over budgeted amounts those have been included in the proposed amendment. The IT department had spent more than budgeted in Capital and the recent hiring of an IT Director has made it necessary to amend the IT budget. The needed Capital will come from Capital reserves in the IT budget.

The Board of Supervisors in Shelby County, passed a resolution fixing June 20, 2023 at 9-a.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on a budget amendment. The hearing will be held in the Supervisor’s Chambers in the Courthouse in Shelby County, Iowa. The proposed expenditure service areas amended are as follows: Physical health and Legal Services $7,000, Administration $25,000. Revenues Local option Sales tax $6,000, Rents, $20,000 and Miscellaneous Receipts $23,000.