For at least three decades, voters in Key Peninsula have routinely approved six- or 10-year tax levies to fund emergency medical services provided by Fire District 16.
Now the district, also known as the Key Peninsula Fire Department, is asking voters to make the levy permanent.
“The community has passed this levy time and time again, so it’s clear they want to support EMS services,” said Chief Dustin Morrow. “The board of commissioners thought it was time to ask voters to make it permanent.”
The ballot item, called Proposition 1, will appear on August 6 election ballot. It asks voters to approve a permanent property tax of 50 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation to support the district’s emergency medical response teams.
“Just like fire departments everywhere, we are finding EMS is now most of our business,” Chief Morrow said.