By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County voters will decide today whether to extend the sales tax that pays for much of the county ambulance service.
The quarter-cent emergency ambulance service expires at the end of the year. Buchanan County EMS is asking voters to approve a 20-year extension.
Field Operations Director Steve Groshong says the tax is vital to funding the ambulance service.
“So, the county collects a quarter-cent sales tax, which basically covers probably about 45% of our expenses,” Groshong tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “We make up the rest of that with fees for re-insurance, fees for service.”
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement provides much of the ambulance funding. Fees and insurance reimbursement provides some of the money to keep the ambulances running.
Buchanan County EMS Executive Director Wally Patrick says new technology and training is always required to keep the district up to date and he worries voters might take the service for granted.
“So, there’s always something on the horizon that we have to meet, but the people that we provide the care to aren’t always aware of all those new things and aware of what it takes to keep things at that level,” according to Patrick. “My fear would be is that someone would think, oh they’re doing a great job, but why would we want to continue this, because it’s good right now.”
The Buchanan County Emergency Ambulance Service began after then-Heartland decided to get out of the ambulance business. The county found no viable option other than taking over the ambulance service.
Officials asked for a 10-year extension last time. This year, they are asking for a 20-year extension.
“Medicare, they have the option in a year to change our funding. We want to ensure that we can provide the level of service that we provide now in three years and in four years, in five years,” Patrik says. “So, us stretching that out, doesn’t mean that we’re taxing the public more, but it means it allows us to continue to provide this service for 20 years.”
Buchanan County EMS reports it makes approximately 1,300 calls a month with an average response time of under five minutes.