CALDWELL, Idaho — The Canyon County Ambulance District has proposed a $7.982 million levy override on the upcoming May ballot.
- The levy override would increase property taxes in Canyon County by $21.19 per $100,000 of assessed property value.
- The district will hold open houses in Nampa, Caldwell, and at their administration training building to hear from the public.
- For more information on the levy override click here.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"Seconds count, minutes count, and so we want to reduce the amount of time that it takes us when you call 9-1-1 for us to show up," said Chief of the Canyon County Ambulance District, Michael Sowell.
The Canyon County Ambulance District proposed a nearly eight million dollar override levy as a way to address the growing emergency medical needs of the county.
"Our current funding is not meeting that and so we're going out to the voters and letting them know…here's where we're at," said Chief Sowell.
The levy override would increase property taxes in Canyon County by $21.19 per $100,000 of assessed property value.
This proposal came after the county saw its population increase by almost 20,000 people in the last five years and a 20 percent increase in calls for emergency.
"However, our funding has not gone up along with that to be able to put on enough ambulances per day to meet the need of the 9-1-1 calls that have gone up," said Chief Sowell. "When you bring that much more population in they're going to come in with the medical issues that they have."
The levy override would be used to fund the rebuilding of a station, the addition of two ambulances, 12 additional paramedics, and a new station in Caldwell.
"In Caldwell, there isn't a station that we can partner up and house with them so that's why we're needing to build that station over there," said Chief Sowell.
The district will be hosting open houses in Caldwell, Nampa, and at their administration training building where community members can voice their opinions about the levy override.
"We're not meeting the response times that we would like to meet when somebody calls 911," said Chief Sowell. "We're not meeting that because we don't have enough ambulances on duty each day."
If the levy override is not voted in, the district may have to look into cutting back on services.
"But we're optimistic," said Chief Sowell.