MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Elmore County voters will decide this November on a ballot measure to dissolve the current ambulance service district and create a new one, as funding struggles to keep up with growing demand.
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The county handles more than 3,000 emergency calls a year across more than 3,000 square miles. Elmore County Commissioner Bud Corbus said funding for the county's ambulance services is not keeping up with growth.
"It's just a very, very difficult time with emergency services anywhere right now and very difficult to keep up with," Corbus said.
The current district collects about $740,000 a year in property taxes, but it costs nearly $4.5 million to operate. Some of those costs are offset by patient bills and other revenue, but the county is still using about $1 million a year in federal payments to help close the gap.
"Pretty soon the county budget is going to be the one that suffers," Corbus said.
The measure would dissolve the current district and create a new one covering Elmore County. County commissioners would appoint its first board, with voters electing board members starting next November.
Property owners currently pay about $16 a year per $100,000 in taxable value. The new board would set the new rate and could raise it to $40.
"Whatever the new board determines is the model they want to use, it could be less than that," Corbus said.
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That tax would not replace a bill for an ambulance ride.
Mountain Home resident Jordon Sulgrove, who previously worked for the county's ambulance service, said he is willing to pay more to ensure help is there when he needs it.
"It might be a little bit more of a financial burden but it is going to be a much bigger burden if we cannot get the help that we need when we call 911," Sulgrove said. "I want to make sure that I did everything that I could to help support these services."
If the measure fails, the current district would remain. Corbus said the county would have to consider other funding options or possible service reductions.
"We know they're going to support us. Not only is that their job, that's their passion," Sulgrove said. "So let's help kind of fuel the fire of their passion. That way our community can get the benefits of that."
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If it passes, the county is targeting January 2028 for the new district to begin operating, with ambulance services continuing through the transition.
The measure needs a simple majority to pass.
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