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Local group opposes 3/4% sales tax proposal for EMS funding, urges separate votes on services
Summary
Representatives from Citizens Affirming Sensible Taxation (CAST) told the Fremont County Commission they oppose a proposed 3/4% sales tax that would bundle ambulance, air service and ground transportation funding; they discussed limited federal grant eligibility and proposed alternatives including EMS districts and targeted taxes.
Brett Berg and Libby Littler, representing Citizens Affirming Sensible Taxation (CAST), addressed the commissioners about a proposed 3/4% sales tax initiative intended to fund ambulance, air service and ground transportation countywide.
CAST opposed the initiative on the basis that it bundles multiple services together instead of allowing voters to approve each service separately. They noted Fremont County lacks a critical access hospital, which limits eligibility for certain federal rural health-care funding programs. Berg and Littler discussed options including forming EMS districts, pursuing grants, and structuring a countywide sales tax dedicated solely to EMS. Commissioner Michael Jones encouraged CAST and similar groups to present concrete alternatives to the commissioners and to voters, emphasizing that new funding requires voter approval if placed on the ballot.
No formal vote or directive was recorded; the exchange concluded with a request for CAST to develop clearer alternatives and for further consideration by commissioners and staff.
