The mounting costs of providing emergency medical services in rural Asotin County could lead to a new EMS levy proposal in places such as Anatone, Cloverland and the Snake River corridor.
At Monday’s Asotin County Commission meeting, Lewiston Fire Chief Travis Myklebust and Asotin County Fire Chief Noel Hardin said first responders are getting more calls to areas outside the boundaries of the Asotin County Fire District. Because property owners in those unincorporated areas don’t contribute to the EMS system, other taxpayers are bearing the burden.
“The unincorporated areas have not been paying for EMS for the last 10 years or so and everyone else has,” Myklebust said. “We love providing the service. We just want to make sure everyone pays their fair share.”