Officials Seek Feedback on Failed Floyd County EMS Tax Levy, Survey Deadline Monday (12.09)
Last month, for the second time in two years, a tax levy to generate a dedicated funding source for emergency medical services (EMS) in Floyd County failed to pass.
The tax levy could have raised up to $670,000 a year for five years in support of EMS, including the four entities that supply ambulance service in the county: Nora Springs and Greene ambulances, Marble Rock First Responders and AMR Ambulance.
The measure required a 60% supermajority to pass, but fell well short, with only 45% YES votes to 55% NO votes. An EMS tax levy put before Floyd County voters two years ago also failed to garner the 60% supermajority threshold.
In the wake of the latest defeat of the measure, the Floyd County EMS Advisory Council, which recommended the makeup of the EMS tax levy to the Board of Supervisors, is seeking public feedback on the group’s efforts to educate voters in advance of the November 5th general election.
Among the information the EMS Council wants to know: if the goals and objectives of the tax levy process were clear; are there things that could’ve improved chances for passage; how do you envision the future of EMS services in the County.
The deadline to fill out the survey is Monday (12.09) and a link to the survey is available here.
For Charles City and Floyd County, officials will have to make tough decisions on how to continue subsidizing the operating costs of AMR Ambulance. The City and County are currently splitting a payment of about $427,000 this fiscal year, the price tag to go up by 3% to almost $450,000 next July 1st.
Floyd County Medical Center (FCMC) agreed to contribute over $100,000 each year to help with that subsidy payment, but FCMC has not committed to that arrangement past the 2025-26 fiscal year.
