EMS public measures fail in Guthrie, Page and Taylor Counties; Approved in Cass & Sac Counties
November 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson
GUTHRIE COUNTY, Iowa — Guthrie County residents, Tuesday, voted down the new tax to fund emergency medical services and declare EMS an essential service. The Public Measure garnered 53.9% of the 60% approval needed for it to pass. Guthrie County was among a dozen across Iowa to ask for voters’ approval to fund countywide emergency medical services. The ballot measure asked for 75 cents per $1,000 dollars of assessed value on all taxable property in Guthrie County. It would have raised more than $750,000 a year.
Senate File 615, signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in June 2021, provides the framework for counties to deem the service essential. It allows them to create a referendum to raise property taxes to fund EMS.
As we’ve mentioned, the EMS measure passed in Cass County, with 76.4% of the vote. Page County voters failed to pass the EMS measure, with a 50.6% vote. In Sac County, the EMS initiative received 74.2% of the vote. Taylor County voters failed to approve their EMS initiative. It fell short of the 60% majority by 3.4%, or 56.6% yes to 43.4% no.