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Public urges council to adopt EMS fee as administrators explain legal limits of levies
Summary
Public commenters pressed Aberdeen City Council to adopt the proposed EMS fee now to avoid cuts, while city staff explained state law (RCW) treats EMS funding as a fee for cost-of-service rather than a property-tax levy, noting levies require voter approval and are frequently capped or rejected.
A public commenter urged the Aberdeen City Council to approve the proposed emergency medical services (EMS) fee in full, saying the city cannot keep dipping into the general fund or cutting other services to cover EMS costs.
"We can't continue to do that. We need to have sensible budgeting ... and we need to cover our costs now," said Unidentified Speaker 3, who told the council the change would be painful for low-income and fixed-income residents but…
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