ATHENS, Ohio — Athens County voters will decide this November whether to levy an additional tax to support Athens County Emergency Medical Services.
ACEMS is currently supported by three property tax levies totaling 2.50 mills. One of those levies — a 0.5 mill tax passed in 2018 — expires next year. The agency is asking for a new, 1.5-mill levy, effectively increasing its tax support to 3.5 mills.
The proposed levy, for “operation and maintenance,” is estimated to generate $1.9 million a year. At a rate of 1.5 mills for each $1 of taxable value, that’s $53 per $100,000. If passed, the levy would be in effect for five years, beginning with the 2024 calendar year.
The additional tax is needed because ACEMS’ costs have increased, ACEMS Chief Amber Pyle said.
“We’ve been, for the past several years, depleting what we carry over every year by approximately $400,000,” Pyle told the Independent. “And if you get it no more coming in and only going out, eventually you end up with nothing in the savings account, so to speak.”
ACEMS has five stations across the county in Albany, Athens, Coolville, Glouster and Nelsonville. It employs 63 people total, 42 of whom are full-time.
“Every day it takes a minimum of 12 to run all the stations,” ACEMS Chief Amber Pyle said.
Major costs include fuel, medications and medical supplies. Costs for supplies and fuel jumped from $94,368 in 2020 to $159,810 in 2021, according to figures from the Athens County Checkbook.
In August and September, the five stations responded to 913 calls. ACEMS averages above 10,000 calls per year, “And we are on schedule [to] that much and a little bit more than this year,” Pyle said.
Athens County Commissioner Charlie Adkins supports the levy. “With the doubling and sometimes tripling cost of medical supplies, gas, equipment and vehicles, we need your support in passing the EMS levy,” Adkins wrote in a statement to the Independent. “Due to low pay rates, Athens County can be a temporary stop for Emergency Personnel as they progress in their career. The revenue generated by passing the levy would provide much-needed continued support to emergency services and personnel.”
According to records provided by the Athens County Auditor, ACEMS emergency medical technician hourly wages range from $11.94 to $15.17. Single adults in Athens County with no children need at least $16.37/hour to support themselves, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
Early voting is currently underway. The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Find more information via the Athens County Board of Elections.
Corinne Colbert contributed to this story.
