(Atlantic) In 2021, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 615, allowing counties to designate emergency medical service (EMS) departments as essential county services, placing them equally with state law enforcement and fire departments. The designation opens more funding opportunities to departments across Iowa’s 99 counties. A county’s board of supervisors can put up a tax for voters’ approval to benefit EMS departments.
KSOM/KS95 News sat down with Cass Health CEO Brett Altman and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elaine Berry to explain Public Measure A, which will appear on the General Election Ballot.
Click below to listen to the interview with Mr. Altman and Dr. Berry.
Public Measure A:
Shall the Cass County Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation by the Cass County EMS Advisory Council, to fund emergency medical services in Cass County, including, but not limited to, ambulance service, personnel, and equipment, be authorized for 15 years, to 1) levy and impose a local option income surtax of one percent upon the state individual income tax of each taxpayer who is a resident of Cass County on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the calendar year 2025, and 2) levy and impose an ad valorem tax not exceeding seventy-five cents per one thousand dollars of assessed valuation on all taxable property within Cass County commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026?
