(Radio Iowa) – Voters in a dozen Iowa counties are deciding whether to raise local taxes to support emergency medical services. Page County’s referendum would raise property taxes to support the six ambulance services in the county. One of them is in Shenandoah, where Ty Davison is Emergency Medical Services director.

“A long time ago legislation came down and deemed law enforcement and fire protection an essential service,” he says. “…EMS has been excluded from that and therefore we receive zero tax funding or assistance in order to operate and respond to calls and emergencies every day.” That state law was adjusted three years ago, so county-wide referendums may be held to establish a property tax levy that supports emergency medical services. Davison says Shenandoah’s ambulance service assists small volunteer departments in the county.

“EMS is not a profitable money maker service,” he says. “…We do bill insurance agencies, however on average we are only reimbursed at a 35% rate.” Since 2022, state records indicate voters in 11 counties and parts of Worth County have passed E-M-S referendums. State law requires 60 percent approval to raise local property taxes and E-M-S referendums have failed in a few counties.

In November of 2022 voters Jones, Kossuth, Osceola, Pocahontas, and Winnebago Counties passed EMS referendums. In November of 2023, voters in Cedar, Benton, Ida, and Shelby Counties approved EMS property taxes. In March of THIS year, Louisa County voters approved an EMS measure and in September, voters in Henry and parts of Worth County did so as well. The following counties have referendums on this year’s General Election ballot: Appanoose, Buchanan, Butler, Cass, Floyd, Guthrie, Hamilton, Jefferson, Page, Sac, Tama, Taylor.