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Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District currently covers the four townships of Granville, Marion, Gibson and Recovery, including the towns of Fort Recovery, St. Henry, Burkettsville and Chickasaw. It's headquartered at 436 Western Ave., St. Henry.
Still very much in its infancy, the Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District is asking voters to once again support a levy to help fund its operation.
Voters in Gibson, Granville, Marion and Recovery townships and the villages of Burkettsville, Chickasaw, Fort Recovery and St. Henry will decide on a five-year, 0.75-mill replacement tax levy for the benefit of the Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.
If approved, the levy would collect $411,726 annually and would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $26 each year. The levy would commence in 2026 with taxes first due in calendar year 2027.
The levy would help cover day-to-day operational costs and long-term expenses such as equipment upgrades and ambulance purchases.
During a special election in May 2021, voters resoundingly supported a new five-year, 0.75-mill levy for the freshly minted joint ambulance district.
The levy passed with 484 votes in favor, or 93.80%, and 32 votes against, or 6.20%, according to the official results of the Mercer County Board of Elections.
At the time the levy was projected to collect $270,000 annually, costing the owner of a $100,000 home $26.25 a year.
With the levy set to expire at the end of this year, the joint ambulance district opted to pursue a five-year replacement levy to continue funding operations. If voters give the thumbs-up again, the replacement levy would collect at a rate not exceeding 0.75 mills based on current property valuations, which have risen significantly in recent years.
Around 2020, St. Henry Emergency Medical Services was struggling to attract volunteers. Officials proposed breaking away from the Mercer County EMS and forming the Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District, offering a paid on-call system to entice recruits.
In late 2020, trustees of the proposed Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District reached an agreement with Mercer County EMS, allowing St. Henry EMS to keep all its current equipment. The county EMS also supplied the district an $85,000 stipend, according to county officials.
Under the terms of the exit agreement, the new joint ambulance district took possession of a 2008 and a 2010 Ford ambulance, as well as all older Motorola portable radios, a router, two chairs, an ambulance power load system, a monitor/defibrillator and other supplies housed at the St. Henry EMS station.
The joint ambulance district returned to Mercer County EMS two iPads, two Panasonic Toughbooks, a 1998 Ford ambulance, new Motorola portable radios and all medication.
The Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District began operating in January 2021, covering mostly the same territory - Recovery, Gibson, Granville and Marion townships and the villages of Burkettsville, Chickasaw, Fort Recovery and St. Henry. It is governed by a board of trustees consisting of trustees from each of the townships and representatives from each of the village governments.
In addition to its levy, the joint ambulance district also receives revenue from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance companies for runs.
Franklin Township voters will decide the fate of a five-year, 1.6-mill renewal levy for fire protection on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.
The levy would generate $129,629 per year. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay $34 annually.
Levy funds are used for operational costs, including equipment, training and insurance.
