Spokane7
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March 9, 2010 in City
Voters will have say on Spokane EMS tax
City Council agrees to put renewal on ballot
Spokane voters next month will be asked if they want to maintain the city’s tax for emergency medical services.
The Spokane City Council voted unanimously on Monday to place the six-year EMS tax on the April 27 ballot.
It will need 60 percent support to pass, a level it has reached every six years since voters first approved the tax in 1980.
“The renewal of the EMS levy will allow us to continue to deliver those services that everybody relies on, and we absolutely have no other source of funds for that purpose,” Spokane Mayor Mary Verner said.
The tax, which will expire at the end of the year if voters reject it, would raise about $8 million in 2011, said Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams. The tax finances 54 of the department’s 326 positions and pays for supplies and training, he said.
Williams said because contracts require recently hired firefighters, who earn less than veteran employees, to be laid off first, a failure of the EMS levy would likely result in up to 90 lost positions and the closure of fire stations.
“It if failed, it would be devastating to this community,” Williams said.
Two former City Council candidates testified on the issue at Monday’s hearing.
Karen Kearney, who was defeated in the November election by Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin, said the tax is essential.
“This issue is one that is about life-saving and about promoting our region as a good place to live,” Kearney said.
George McGrath, who was defeated in a 2007 council primary election, suggested that the council force firefighters to collect signatures to place the tax on the ballot.
“I think that the citizens of Spokane have been taxed more than sufficiently,” McGrath said.
Last year, Spokane voters narrowly rejected a separate 10-year, $33 million fire bond to pay for firefighting equipment. It was the first time voters defeated a city fire bond since it began to depend on voter-approved property taxes to cover most fire expenses beyond personnel in 1989.
City leaders are considering making a second attempt for a fire bond later this year.
MAC faces angry crowd 
liarsinnews on March 09 at 6:44 a.m.
Blackmail!! If Mayor Verner used her head, the city would recommend that the ambulance service take over the EMS entirely. The ambulance service would save the taxpayers money and the fire fighters could fight fires and could aid the police department to boot. The $8. million would be more than enough for the ambulance service to add more vehicles at various locations and would improve the response time. A budget committee under the direction of Joel Crobsy former councilman studied the issue and at that time found that it would save the taxpayers $2. million back in the 1990`s.
cowboy on March 09 at 7:26 a.m.
Mayor Verner doesnt care about saving money, she has ours.
Did you notice on your utility bill, water service charge went from $8 a month to 12? This is not a consumption charge it is a monthy service fee.
CharlesBillford on March 09 at 9:07 a.m.
Some of those $100,000/yr firemen should do a little give back.
rob_brewer on March 09 at 10:14 a.m.
@dick adams - isn’t the ambulance service you recommend the same one that has been under fire in recent years for overcharging the city for services? How is a private company contracted to provide ambulance services, with a history of billing problems, going to save the taxpayer money?
CharlesBillford on March 09 at 1:17 p.m.
Why do they send a ladder truck to the Costco on East Sprague when an elderly woman falls down and hurts her ankle? She wasn’t that tall.
Answer that Bobby Williams
west on March 13 at 3:42 p.m.
EMS levies are a tax soaker.. a golden cow….fire unions love them and all the money it generates..’its for the citizens’.. all the money just pays for salaries…ya right