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San Juan County EMS director pitches 1% rural-health sales tax to stabilize ambulance services
Summary
San Juan County EMS Director Jeremy Hoggard told the Bluff Town Council the county is proposing a 1% rural-health sales tax on the Fall 2026 ballot to address an EMS funding shortfall; he said the tax could generate about $1.2 million and reduce reliance on county general-fund subsidies.
San Juan County EMS Director Jeremy Hoggard presented operational and fiscal data to the Bluff Town Council on May 5 and outlined the county’s plan to place a 1% rural-health sales tax on the Fall 2026 ballot to stabilize EMS services.
Hoggard said San Juan County’s 2026 EMS budget is about $1,060,000 with projected income of roughly $707,309 and staffing costs near $734,636; he described a structural funding gap that has been covered by the county general fund in prior years. In 2025 the service logged about 591 calls and transported 449 patients; 142 transports were unbillable. He said about 37% of calls over three years came from visitors or outside the county service area, and that low call volume raises the fixed cost per call to an estimated $1,670 while the average collection per call is about $700.
Hoggard said the county recommends a 1% rural-health sales tax (excluding nonprepared food, fuel and prescription medications) that could generate an estimated $1.2 million annually. He outlined uses for the revenue: hire additional full‑time staff (to reduce reliance on volunteers and decrease response times), establish replacement funds for ambulances and equipment, and make station improvements. Hoggard emphasized the need for career staffing rather than volunteer reliance and asked for community champions to support a grassroots campaign because the county cannot legally spend public funds on the ballot effort.
Mayor Josh Ewing and staff discussed local impacts: using Bluff’s resort-tax receipts to model Bluff’s share, council members estimated Bluff’s annual contribution could be roughly $125,000–$150,000. Councilmember Spencer Wade asked about examples of other jurisdictions that used similar taxes; Hoggard cited Wayne County, Wasatch County, Moab/Grand County, Summit County, Garfield County and Beaver City as jurisdictions where sales taxes helped stabilize EMS services.
Hoggard’s presentation framed the sales-tax proposal as the most equitable option because it would capture visitor use and broaden the payer base beyond property owners. The county’s ballot language and final revenue estimates will be refined as the campaign develops and as the county coordinates with partnering municipalities.
