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Commission reviews four‑mill countywide ambulance levy for November ballot
Summary
County staff presented Resolution No. 26‑17 to place a permanent four‑mill levy on the general election ballot to generate about $106,000 a year to support countywide ambulance operations; county attorney staff confirmed ballot language complies with Montana Code. No vote was recorded at the work session.
County finance staff and the fire chief urged the Anaconda‑Deer Lodge County Commission to give voters the chance to decide whether to add a permanent four‑mill levy to county property tax bills to help fund ambulance operations.
Eric Hoiland, the county chief financial officer, told the commission the levy would spread costs now borne mostly by city taxpayers across the entire county. "It looks like it's going to generate roughly $106,000.00 to do it, it will be a four mill, permanent mill," Hoiland said, and described options for placing the receipts into a new mill fund or transferring the amount to the ambulance operating fund at year end.
Fire Chief Cody Tocher told the Commission an ambulance levy would provide "a more stable and predictable source of funding" and help recruit and retain EMTs, maintain vehicles and replace aging ambulances. "When somebody calls 9‑1‑1, they don't stop to think of how the ambulance service is funded," Tocher said, "they simply expect that trained professionals will arrive quickly, provide lifesaving care, and transport their loved ones when every minute matters." He described the $106,000 figure as "a start" but not enough to fully fund the service.
Commissioner Ed Beaudette pressed staff on mechanics and budget impact; Hoiland said the county will create a separate mill fund (rather than use an enterprise fund on a tax bill) and then move or allocate the levy receipts according to the agreed approach. Chairman Kevin Hart provided examples of tax impact, saying the levy would cost about $3.04 per year on a $100,000 home, $9.12 on a $300,000 home and $21.44 on a $600,000 home.
County Attorney Morgan Smith said she and staff reviewed the resolution language for compliance with Montana law and election rules and approved the ballot wording presented to the commission. The discussion at the July 14 work session reviewed the proposal and compliance; no formal vote or final action was recorded in the work session minutes.
