By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
SIGOURNEY – During the Oct. 27 meeting of the Keokuk County Board of Supervisors, Cody Davis and Taylor Zehr from Keokuk County Ambulance spoke with the supervisors about potentially having a tax levy to help pay for a a budget deficit in payroll and equipment. The vote for this tax levy will not be on the ballot next week and would be voted on in a later year. Davis explained that the money raised would also go to support the seven volunteer non-transport EMS services in the county. He noted that the last ambulance they purchased cost $300,000 for just the truck, more with the equipment. Zehr stated that, a few years ago, they obtained a grant to give LUCAS chest compression devices to the smaller EMS services and that these devices cost $11,000 each and $1,000 for the batteries.
Davis stated that they were allowed to levy up to 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable property, but stated he didn’t know how much that would generate. He stated that he didn’t think they would need the max levy and that he, as a taxpayer, didn’t want the max levy. Zehr stated that they can make a budget once they find out how much the levy will generate. Davis said they might just need just a 50 cent levy. Supervisor Mike Hadley estimated a 50 cent levy would generate around $350,000.
Auditor Christy Bates explained that the ambulance service would need approve from the board to have a vote on a levy. Supervisor Daryl Wood stated that they would need to give a presentation on what the tax dollars would be used for.
Hadley stated that a lot of rural hospitals are getting rid of their emergency rooms and stated he’d hate to lose the service we have. Zehr stated that the ambulance service has 19 employees, but struggles to attract new hires, because they are the lowest paying service in the area. Wood stated it would take time to promote the levy to the public. Bates called it an uphill battle, noting that it was hard to get the county to approve Local Option Sales Tax. Wood stated that no one wants to raise taxes, but that he wants the ambulance to respond when he calls.
Also at the Monday meeting, Wood stated that the 10-15 transit service, which takes people to doctor appointments in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, was having issues, due to one of the private medical providers offering Lyft rides to their office, but not back. Wood explained this had resulted in people ending up stranded at the VA and calling to ask 10-15 to take them home. He also stated the provider was bad about giving appointment times in time for the bus service to schedule its route.
County Engineer Andy McGuire gave a report on the highway department’s roadside herbicide use. He noted that they had sprayed every mile of pavement this year and were spraying less chemicals, but getting more coverage. He stated their goal was more targeted spraying.
