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West Custer Hospital District proposes including Wetmore area; board seeks public outreach
Summary
The West Custer County Hospital District presented plans to include roughly 173 Wetmore‑area properties in its district and, if approved by district court, would put the question to voters in Nov. 2026 after town halls and mailed notices.
Ron Terry, chair of the West Custer County Hospital District board, briefed the commissioners on Nov. 19 about the district’s plan to present a formal resolution to include the Wetmore/Mackenzie Junction area in the hospital district.
Terry said his board’s research indicates the affected area contains about 173 properties and that residents in that area historically have not been charged the district mill levy for ambulance coverage. He described the proposal as "leveling the playing field," saying residents uphill already pay for ambulance service through the levy while those in the affected area do not.
Terry said the district plans to send letters to property owners, host town‑hall meetings to explain the proposal and then file a resolution in district court. If the court process is successful, the inclusion would be placed on the Nov. 2026 ballot for the affected voters to decide.
Commissioners asked about current service coverage and noted Florence Fire and EMS and other providers have assisted the area in the past; hospital‑district leaders said interagency discussions have occurred but no definitive alternative coverage plan had been presented. Commissioners were told the district expects the mill‑levy change would not be a large per‑parcel increase based on the district’s financial estimates.
The board did not take formal action on the proposal at this meeting; the hospital district will proceed with community outreach and legal filings if directed by its board.
