ClarkCountyToday.com continues its review of the choices area voters have to make
Ballots for the Aug. 6 primary and special election were mailed on July 19. Voters in the Clark County Council District 4; the cities of Battle Ground, Vancouver and the Town of Yacolt; Vancouver and Green Mountain school districts; Emergency Management Services District 1 and East County Fire & Rescue will each vote on individual races and three ballot measures.
ClarkCountyToday.com continues its review of the choices area voters have to make with a look at the ballot measures to be decided in the Aug. 6 primary.
Clark County Emergency Medical District No. 1 — Proposition No. 3
Voters in the Clark County Emergency Medical District and in the Town of Yacolt are being asked to approve a 10-year Emergency Medical Services Regular Property Tax Renewal Levy. If approved, residents would be taxed the maximum sum of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation each year for 10 consecutive years beginning in 2020.
The North Country Emergency Medical Service (NCEMS) is a government entity operating from stations in Yacolt and Fargher Lake. It is comprised of Clark County EMS District No. 1, Cowlitz County EMS District No. 1 and the Town of Yacolt. NCEMS has been the provider of ambulance service to northeast Clark County and southeast Cowlitz County since 1976.
According to proponents of the levy, NCEMS doesn’t have permanent funding sources like other special purpose districts, including fire or cemetery districts, so NCEMS must periodically submit a request to voters for continued funding. The existing levy expires at the end of 2019.
The levy amount being requested is the same $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value as past levies. Proponents of the levy claim the funding is required to continue operation of NCEMS and that failure of the levy “would eliminate this publicly funded service.’’
Residents of the NCEMS taxing district have no out-of-pocket expense for utilizing the ambulance service.
East County Fire & Rescue — Proposition No. 3
East County Fire & Rescue is asking voters to approve a Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services. The levy would be used to maintain and fund district operations. If approved, the proposition would authorize the district to restore its regular property tax levy to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value to be assessed in 2019 and collected in 2020.
The funds would be used to maintain and improve fire protection, emergency medical services and facilities in the district and also replace apparatus and equipment while also providing for firefighter safety.
Officials with East County Fire & Rescue state that the one-year levy “lid lift’’ would be the first levy increase in 11 years. Officials also report that emergency call volumes have increased 50 percent while funding has stayed flat. They say that 80 percent of the calls are for medical assistance.
Green Mountain School District No. 103 — Proposition No. 2
The Green Mountain School District Board of Directors approved a resolution asking voters in that district to authorize a Replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy that would provide educational needs such as instructional materials, special education and technology and operational expenses including teachers and staff and transportation not funded by the state.
The three-year levy would replace the existing operations levy, which expires after the end of 2019. It would collect $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value in each of the three years. The levy amount is reported to be $321,129 in 2020, $353,241 in 2021 and $388,566 in 2022.
Information from Clark County Elections contributed to this report.
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