Muscatine County supervisors set May 4 hearing to consider declaring EMS an essential service
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Summary
Emergency Manager Chris Jasper urged supervisors to declare EMS an essential service to create an advisory council and fund non-disposable equipment and staffing; the board set a public hearing for May 4 to begin the process of possibly placing a levy on the ballot.
Emergency Manager Chris Jasper told the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 23 that Iowa Code "4 22 d" allows a county to declare Emergency Medical Services (EMS) an essential service, appoint an EMS advisory council and propose a separate levy to pay for non-disposable equipment, vehicles and staffing.
Jasper said the declaration is the first administrative step that would permit the county to collect budgets from the county's EMS providers and recommend a levy (up to 75 cents per $1,000 valuation) for a ballot measure. "This first step here just declaring it allows you folks to appoint an EMS advisory council to look further into this, and what it may look like here in the county," Jasper said.
Why it matters: County officials and EMS providers have reported staffing and funding pressures. Jasper and supervisors described the move as a way to stabilize response capacity and to create a structured funding and review process rather than absorbing costs within municipal general funds. Jasper framed the change as narrowly targeted: funds under the statute may only be used for non-disposable items and certain staffing costs, not everyday consumables.
Supervisors discussed practical and legal complexities. One supervisor noted that municipalities that currently fund ambulance service from their general fund would have to reduce that levy by a commensurate amount if the county imposes a separate EMS levy, creating administrative and budgeting challenges for cities like the City of Muscatine. Another supervisor warned that a 75-cent levy "doesn't come close to covering the cost," saying many counties still rely on volunteers and fundraising even after adopting the levy.
Jasper described next steps: he will propose members for an EMS advisory council, collect budgets from the county's EMS providers, and begin the public-education and publication work required by statute. He cautioned that meeting publication and three-reading requirements, together with the auditor's deadlines, likely make getting the measure on this year's ballot difficult. "Public education is gonna be a huge piece of this," Jasper said.
Board action: Supervisor (S2) moved and Supervisor (S5) seconded a motion to set a public hearing on declaring EMS an essential service in Muscatine County for Monday, May 4 at 9:00 a.m.; the motion passed on a voice vote recorded in the transcript as 'Aye.'
A personal note: Jasper, speaking from personal experience, said he supported taking steps to protect EMS capacity. "I would gladly pay a $150 extra a year on my taxes to make sure that that continues to happen in the future," he said, describing how local EMS saved his husband's life after an on-the-job cardiac arrest.
What happens next: The resolution would allow the county to appoint an EMS advisory council to develop budgets and levy recommendations. If the council or board places a levy before voters and the measure fails, Jasper noted the resolution would be null and void and the county would not be out any funds for having considered the step. Public education and further outreach to cities and EMS providers will follow prior to the public hearing.
