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Butler County supervisors call Nov. 5 vote on EMS property tax and local option income surtax
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Summary
The Butler County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Resolution 2009-2024 on Aug. 6, 2024, calling a Nov. 5 special election on a proposal to fund emergency medical services with $150,000 annually (about $0.14 per $1,000 up to $0.75) and a local option income surtax up to 1% for 15 years.
The Butler County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Aug. 6 to adopt Resolution 2009-2024, directing the county commissioner of elections to call a special election on Nov. 5, 2024, on a proposal to fund emergency medical services (EMS).
The resolution, approved on a motion by Supervisor Greg Barnett and second by Supervisor Rusty Eddy, sets a funding target of $150,000 annually. Funding is described in the resolution as equivalent to $0.14 per $1,000 of assessed value, not to exceed $0.75 per $1,000, and would be paired with a local option income surtax not to exceed 1.0 percent on the state individual income tax for county residents. The measure, if approved by voters, would be effective for a maximum of 15 years.
County Auditor Leslie Groen told the board she consulted an opinion from the law firm Ahlers & Cooney about eligible expenditures under Iowa Code chapter 422D and said the opinion did not explicitly list salaries and benefits as eligible 422D expenditures; consequently the county will not assume salaries and benefits are eligible under the proposed funding plan. The board accepted the recommendation and adopted the resolution by roll call (Ayes — Rusty Eddy, Wayne Dralle, Greg Barnett).
The resolution directs county staff to file the proposition for the ballot with the Butler County Commissioner of Elections by Sept. 6, 2024, and requires publication of the notice of election at least 60 days before the election pursuant to Iowa Code and administrative rules. The Greene Recorder, Butler County Tribune and Clarksville Star, and Parkersburg Eclipse News-Review are designated for the required legal notice and publication responsibilities.
Under the terms of the resolution, moneys raised by the property tax and surtax may be used for any EMS purpose identified in Iowa Code chapter 422D and in the plan the advisory council provided to the board. The board’s next procedural steps are filing the ballot proposition by the Sept. 6 deadline and overseeing required publications ahead of the Nov. 5 special election.