South Pierce Fire & Rescue

Special Election - Proposition No. 1 - Re-authorizing EMS Levy

Complete resolution text at PierceCountyElections.org

Will South Pierce Fire & Rescue be re-authorized to impose regular property tax levies of fifty cents ($0.50) or less per thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of assessed valuation for each of six consecutive years to continue providing basic and advanced (paramedic) emergency medical services?

The Board of Commissioners of South Pierce Fire & Rescue has adopted Resolution 2022-007 requesting an election to re-authorize for six (6) years a property tax levy of up to fifty (50) cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, to be collected annually form 2023 to 2028. This levy will help fund the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program, maintaining the current level of EMS service provided to District residents, to include full-time paramedics, and ambulance transports. The levy will also fund salaries, equipment, medical supplies, and training needed for EMS card.

An EMS levy has been continuously approved by voters since 2004. The District has created and continued a membership program, allowing District residents to be transported by fire department ambulance to hospitals at no out-of-pocket expense; only non-residents are charged for transport. If the EMS levy is approved, this program will continue.

Approximately 79% of District responses are medical calls. The regular fire levy does not adequately fund EMS. Revenue collected by this EMS levy may only be used for emergency medical care or services and related costs. The current levy will expire on December 31, 2022.

It is a reauthorization of an existing six-year EMS Levy which expires at the end of 2022. We must join together to help our department keep pace with increased demands and rising costs by voting to maintain the existing level of funding at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Over 79% of the 3,025 calls our fire department responded to last year were for EMS services. Failure to renew this levy will greatly hinder and possibly prevent South Pierce Fire & Rescue from continuing to provide reliable ambulance service and would result in fewer paramedic units available to respond, longer response times, and all patients would be required to pay for ambulance transports.

Our goal must be to continue to provide the emergency services that we authorized with the previous levy. Please join us in voting yes to maintain this high quality of service to our communities. No statement was submitted against this issue.

Committee Members: Skip Simmons, Ronda Litzenberger, Baron Banks Yes4emsspfr@gmail.com