WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — Early voting opened Tuesday in Ohio’s Nov. 3 general election, and the Fayette County EMS District is using the milestone to press voters to renew the levy that funds the county’s ambulance service.
In a Facebook post marking the start of early voting, the district asked residents to vote “yes” on the renewal, tying the request to its 50th anniversary — the agency was established in 1976 and has served as Fayette County’s primary ambulance provider out of Washington Court House ever since, under Director Rodney List.
The levy would not exceed 1.9 mills and would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $49 a year, according to a cost breakdown the district released in August. Officials have stressed the measure is a renewal of existing funding rather than a new tax, meaning it would not raise the district’s tax rate above what residents already pay. The levy is expected to raise about $1.48 million annually for the district, which responds to roughly 4,400 calls for service each year.
The Fayette County EMS District covers all county townships and municipal corporations, including the village of New Holland, with the exception of Jefferson Township, the village of Jeffersonville, and the portion of Perry Township served by the Greenfield Exempted Village School District. Only residents of the participating communities will vote on the levy.
Under the district’s billing policy, a patient’s insurance is billed for ambulance service and any remaining balance is covered by levy revenue rather than passed on to the resident, officials have said. The district has described the approach, along with upgraded ambulances and staff retention, as reliant on continued levy funding amid rising costs for personnel and supplies.
The renewal push has also drawn public backing from local fire departments, including Wayne Township Fire and the Washington Court House Fire Department, which have both said the levy continues a “50-year tradition” of emergency medical service in the county.
Residents seeking details on early voting times, locations and requirements can contact the Fayette County Board of Elections.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Fayette County EMS District.
