By Mary Pieper
Globe Gazette
FLOYD COUNTY, Iowa 鈥� On Nov. 5, Floyd County voters will decide on a five-year levy to pay for emergency medical services.
If the ballot question passes, Floyd County will levy up to 69 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to raise a maximum of $670,000 to fund EMS services annually. The Floyd County Board of Supervisors will approve the use of these funds.
The measure requires a 60% majority to pass.
According to an information sheet from the Floyd County Emergency Medical Services System Advisory Council, a residence or commercial property with an assessed value of $100,000 would see a $30 a year increase in real estate taxes, while each tillable acre of 77 CSR farmland would see a tax hike of 80 cents.
Increasing expenses primarily related to wages and equipment maintenance have contributed to EMS revenue shortfalls, according to the council. The reimbursement rate from Medicare and Medicaid have not kept up with the cost of services.
Three ambulance services and various mutual aid agreements directly serve Floyd County :
鈥� American Medical Response (AMR), located in Charles City, responds anywhere in the county by providing 24-hour-a-day service with an advanced life support (ALS) service and basic life support (BLS) on call. This service is staffed by paramedics and EMTs.
鈥� Nora Springs Volunteer Ambulance responds to calls in the Nora Springs, Rudd, and Rockford as well the townships of Rock Grove, Rockford, Rudd and Ulster.
鈥� Greene Volunteer Ambulance, located in Greene, a town on the northwestern edge of Butler County. This ambulance service also responds to calls in nearby Floyd County.
The volunteer services receive some support from the local city government and county. They also fundraise and operate from the revenues of the ambulance service.
AMR is funded by operating income and a $427,450 per year subsidy received from Floyd County and the city of Charles City, with contributions from Floyd County Medical Center.
As the cost of providing services has risen more than the income, there has been a significant negative cash flow for the independent providers, according to the advisory council. Many private ambulance operations have ceased in Iowa because of the reimbursement rate from federal aid programs and medical insurance.
The Floyd County Ambulance Commission as well as the EMS Advisory Council have reviewed the option of moving to a government-run ambulance service but it was recommended that the present system is less expensive and serves the citizens well.
The levy does not dictate where the funds could go. If a beneficial opportunity arises, the funds could be used for a government-run service, according to the council.
The council says the most significant change would be the option to provide a larger subsidy to the Nora Springs and Greene ambulances and other EMS services.
The volunteer services have indicated they would use the funds for training, replacing worn-out equipment, and stipends for volunteers, according to the FCEMSSAC.
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