EMS levy endorsed

MARYSVILLE – The Marysville Fire District Board of Directors and Snohomish County Fire District 12 Board of Commissioners adopted resolutions supporting the City of Marysville Proposition No. 1 Emergency Medical Services levy, on the Aug. 1 primary election ballot.

The proposition asks Marysville voters whether to approve an EMS property tax levy of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, to be collected from 2018 to 2023.

The measure would allow the city to maintain current EMS service levels by restoring EMS levy collections to the same 50 cent rate approved by voters in 2008. The EMS levy rate has fallen to around 39 cents per $1,000.

For the owner of a home assessed at $250,000, approval would mean an additional $2.38 per month, or $28.60 per year in property taxes. The estimated total annual EMS tax for a $250,000 home in 2018 would be $125.

EMS levy funding supports response to medical incidents, paramedics and emergency medical technicians to provide patient care, equipment and supplies to treat patients, and other patient-related expenses. EMS-related incidents account for more than 80 percent of all Marysville Fire District responses, amounting to 12,247 in 2016. Since the EMS Levy was last restored in 2008, the number of medical incident responses by the district has increased 36 percent.

For details, go to www.marysvillefiredistrict.org.