Auburn council backs placing countywide Medic 1 levy on November ballot

The Auburn City Council voted Monday to adopt a resolution supporting placement of a countywide ballot measure to fund Medic 1 emergency medical services for the period Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2031.

Michelle Plourde, EMS division director for Public Health—Seattle & King County, and representatives of Valley Regional Fire Authority presented the task force recommendation to council, describing the regional planning process, program priorities and the finance committee’s risk analysis. Plourde told the council the region responded to “over 255,000 calls” in 2024 and that the Medic 1 system’s cardiac arrest survival rate is a regional quality measure.

Council members were presented with the task force’s core proposal: a six‑year levy at a rate the advisory committee recommended as 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with an estimated ballot cost shown as roughly $211 for an average $844,000 King County home and a proposed general election date of November 2025. The package presented to cities outside Seattle included program funding for Advanced Life Support (ALS), Basic Life Support (BLS), regional services and strategic initiatives; the advisory materials showed a multi‑year financial plan that relies on a combination of reserves carried forward and levy revenues.

Plourde said the advisory process was regional and included elected representatives from cities over 50,000, Sound Cities Association appointees, fire…