(Radio Iowa) – Webster County residents are the latest to respond to a 2021 state law that lets voters approve raising local property taxes to support ambulance services. The referendum passed with 83 percent support — exceeding the required 60 percent threshold. Webster County voters Tuesday approved making EMS an essential service for its residents. This means that there will be a dedicated tax of 75 cents per thousand dollars of taxable property value that will fund EMS annually throughout Webster County. It’s estimated that the tax will create $1.6 million for EMS service in the north central Iowa county. The levy will take effect on July 1st this year.

Emergency medical services were never funded at the city or county level in Iowa until passage of the 2021 law that lets voter-approved tax levies support ambulance services. With Tuesday’s vote in Webster County, there are voter-approved E-M-S levies in 21 Iowa counties.