By J. Michael Edwards
Special to the Journal
Stable, highly effective EMS operations have earned us international awards, national accreditation, some of the highest cardiac arrest save rates in the country, and industry-leading patient satisfaction ratings.
But EMS call volume over the last ten years has increased 85 percent, with higher acuity and complexity due to our district’s growing and aging population. Our robust, highly skilled, and well equipped EMS, essential to our island way of life, requires appropriate and ongoing funding.
The EMS levy must be renewed every six years, and comes up for renewal in 2016. We are asking for levy renewal two years early due to increased needs.
Less than a third of the current EMS budget comes from taxes. Through a voter-approved levy, EMS currently receives a maximum of 35 cents per each $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. In contrast, the cemetery and library districts have permanent levies that never need to be renewed, and receive, respectively, 2.2 and 50 cents per thousand. Other permanent levies fund state, county, road, port, hospital, and fire services.
Because properties’ assessed values have decreased, so too has funding for EMS operations. If unaddressed, this loss of tax dollars will result in reduced EMS services.
The upcoming EMS levy seeks an increase of only 15 cents per thousand, an additional $45 per year on a property worth $300,000, for a total of $150. These dollars will afford us emergency responders, their training, equipment, and administration. This is not a levy lid-lift, which would ask for more than normally provided to a junior taxing district.
A few people have questioned EMS medical and administrative expenses. First, 11 of our full-time staff of 12 are emergency responders, not full-time office workers.
Second, salary and benefits account for less than half of the entire budget. Certainly pay and benefits must align with those of comparable job descriptions within the same geographical area. These expenses currently are under review, once again, by the hospital district board.
Third, of their own accord the EMS administrative staff this year has tightened its budget, taken pay cuts, accepted mandatory unpaid furloughs, assumed higher insurance co-pays, and abandoned a cost-of-living increase for 2015.
Our books are open; we have nothing to hide.
We need the public’s support for this upcoming levy. It will restore funding to 2011 levels, allowing replacement of one ambulance and other worn equipment/necessary drugs. Further belt-tightening will be necessary, even if the levy passes.
We must invest in people, equipment, and training to sustain programs recognized by the overwhelming majority of islanders as prudent expenditures. Our EMS administration, and our hospital district board, will do their part. We ask voters to do theirs. Please vote in support of the EMS levy.
— Editor’s note: Dr. J. Michael Edwards is chairman of San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 Commission, the 5-person elected panel which oversees San Juan EMS.
