Redmond committee hears King County Medic 1 levy proposal; task force recommends 25¢ rate for six-year levy

Redmond — Representatives of the King County Medic 1 task force on March 18 presented recommendations for a proposed regional emergency medical services levy and asked Redmond’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee to endorse transmitting the levy package to the King County Council for placement on the ballot. Task force members recommended a six-year levy at 25 cents per $1,000 assessed value, with an estimated household cost of $212 per year (based on an $850,000 home).

Amy Moorehead and Michelle Plourde of the Medic 1 program presented the year-long task force process that included 20 elected officials from the region and three subcommittees (ALS/paramedic, BLS/EMT, and regional services/finance). The task force recommended programmatic measures including ALS funding at ALS cost plus CPIW plus 1 percent inflator, an initial $5 million increase for BLS funding split to support EMT training and mobile integrated health (MIH), and continued regional services such as data systems, telephone referral programs and mental wellness supports for first responders.

Presenters summarized the financial plan the task force vetted. The package the task force forwarded assumed a 25¢ levy rate and total revenues of about $1.5 billion across the levy period; the plan includes an estimated $64.4 million carryover into the new levy period and recommended reserves to cover projected risks. The task force described a risk analysis range and concluded that the midrange financing approach offered a reasonable balance between revenue and contingency.

Council members asked about local growth, equity and how renters are reflected in property-tax-based calculations. Council Member Nueva Camino noted Redmond’s rapid growth and asked whether increased rental housing and denser development had been included; presenters said levy estimates rely on assessed value (AV) and new construction estimates, which capture apartment properties because the levy is assessed on property value. Council Member Fields pressed staff on expenditure risks and what factors could push costs above revenues; presenters said the financial model incorporates AV projections, new construction assumptions and inflation, and reserves are intended to absorb reasonable variation.

Staff clarified process and timing: the task force recommended putting the levy on the general-election ballot in November 2025, with a six-year term covering 2026 through 2031. Presenters said the county is seeking concurrence from cities (11 cities over 50,000 population; the task force seeks at least nine approvals) and the city’s formal resolution to transmit the package should be submitted by early July; the committee agreed to place the item on the April 1 consent agenda for a future formal action.

Ending — The committee accepted the presentation and agreed to receive the proposal on the April 1 agenda for further action; staff said the city would be asked later to adopt a resolution transmitting Redmond’s concurrence to the King County Council and noted the July timing for that transmittal.