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College Place hears presentation on 2026 EMS levy; director asks voters to continue 50¢ rate
Summary
Heather Lee, introduced as the EMS director, told the College Place City Council that the Walla Walla County EMS levy funds training, personnel and transport and requested voters continue the levy at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for a six‑year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Heather Lee, introduced at the meeting as the EMS director, told the College Place City Council on Jan. 27 that Walla Walla County will ask voters to continue the county EMS levy at the current rate of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Lee said the levy funds personnel, equipment, training and facilities used by the eight agencies that participate in county EMS, and that the measure could run for six years if approved, from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2032. "We're requesting that the voters continue the current EMS levy at the existing rate of 50¢ per thousand dollars of assessed value," Lee said.
Lee provided local context for College Place: the city began basic life support transport in November 2018 and had 37 state‑certified EMS providers on staff. She said College Place received $502,690 from the 2025 levy and that the countywide levy distributes roughly $3.9 million among participating agencies. "So if it were not to pass, they would have to look at how do we make up those dollars," Lee said, adding that College Place could lose about $100,000 from its EMS budget if the levy failed.
Council members asked clarifying questions about geography and figures. Council member Stecklein flagged an earlier slide that misstated the service area and Lee clarified the correct figure is approximately 1,200 square miles. Council member Boyle asked for concrete examples of what would be lost if the levy failed; Lee reiterated the funding shortfall and said the chief and council would have to determine how to maintain service levels with reduced resources.
Mayor and council members thanked Lee for the presentation and emphasized the levy’s importance to mostly volunteer EMS and fire services in the city. Lee closed by inviting questions; none were raised beyond clarifications and the presentation concluded.
The presentation did not include a council vote; Lee said the levy would be presented to voters if the sponsoring jurisdictions place the measure on a future ballot.
