FAYETTE COUNTY — A Fayette County EMS three-year, 1.9-mill levy will be on the November general election ballot.
This levy will be voted on and will only affect the citizens of the participating townships and municipal corporations within the Fayette County EMS District. The total amount raised annually by the 1.9 mills is approximately $1,377,725, according to EMS Director Rod List.
List explained that on Jan. 1, 2024, Fayette County EMS will be changing to the Fayette County EMS District — a separate, standalone public service entity that will be made up of all county townships/municipalities with the exclusion of Jefferson Township and the Greenfield Exempted Village School District portion of Perry Township.
Jefferson Township, which has its own EMS (Jefferson Township Fire and EMS), declined to join the district.
The participating entities in the Fayette County EMS District include: Concord Township, Green Township, Wayne Township, Perry Township, Paint Township, Marion Township, Union Township, Madison Township, Jasper Township, the City of Washington Court House, the Village of Milledgeville, the Village of Bloomingburg, the Village of Octa, and the Village of New Holland.
Each participating entity will have a representative on the Fayette County EMS District Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will be responsible for running the Fayette County EMS District, according to List.
“We currently average over 4,500 requests for service annually while maintaining an under seven-minute average response time system-wide,” said List. “We are staffed with two ALS crews 24/7 and have four ambulances at our Washington Court House EMS station.”
List was asked why this change is necessary.
“Fayette County EMS has gone through many changes over the years since its inception in 1976 as the Fayette County Life Squad. Ownership of this valuable public service has passed through multiple community partners, and while each has done an excellent job of being a steward of this service, we believe that the community in which it serves should be the driving force behind the organization,” said List. “As an EMS District, all the participating entities will have a seat at the table in regard to operations and strategic vision. The EMS District Board of Trustees will be responsible for maintaining the EMS service, which includes submitting levy issues to the public, setting budgets, purchasing equipment and/or property, and other duties to ensure the continued high level of service we currently enjoy. The Fayette County EMS District will continue to use the same facility, equipment, and staff that exists today, ensuring a seamless transition in regards to 911 operations in its coverage area.”
As for the levy, the language on the ballot will list the amount of $190 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value. Effectively, the 1.9 mills will be levied on the assessed value of the property, which is 35% of the appraised value as set by the county auditor.
This will cost the property owner $67 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised property value. The original county-wide levy had a cost of $45.50 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised property value.
The current 1.3 mill county-wide EMS levy will expire at the end of 2023.
When asked why the levy amount is more than the previous EMS levy, List said, “The levy will only be on the ballot in the areas that participate in the Fayette County EMS District. The areas that are not part of the district, even though in Fayette County, will not be affected by the levy. With the loss of levy funds from those areas, we had to raise the millage.”
Another change is that after Jan. 1, 2024, and with the successful passing of the EMS District Levy, the EMS District will continue to bill all applicable patients’ insurance, but residents of the EMS District will not have to pay any out of pocket charges relating to the EMS District service. The EMS District will accept payment by the insurance company as full payment. Any balance remaining after insurance payment is written off.
“The final consideration when determining the levy amount was the rising costs of doing business,” said List. “While being as cost-effective as possible, there has been a 9% increase in overall expenses in the last several years.”
List spoke about what will happen if a tax levy doesn’t pass.
“Unfortunately, the amount that we are reimbursed for EMS medical care through billing would not be enough to maintain operations at the present level and the EMS system would cease to exist,” he said. “EMS in our communities would be left to the local level to operate and fund, meaning townships, villages, and the city. We have been blessed in this county to have the EMS system as it exists today and with the continued support of all our communities, we hope to continue to maintain and grow the service for all our citizens.”
