Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a King County Medic One levy that will fund countywide emergency medical services (EMS) for 2020 through 2025.
Unofficial results showed 79.1% of voters approved the measure. This levy replaces an expiring Medic One levy that has provided critical funding to the EMS system for the past six years.
“When voters overwhelmingly approved Prop. 1, they voted to ensure that King County residents have access to life-saving help in an emergency medical situation,” said King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn in a news release. “I’m proud that our EMS system is widely recognized as one the best in the world and am gratified that the voters decided to maintain this high standard of service.”
Dunn was the primary sponsor of the county legislation that placed the Medic One/EMS levy on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The legislation received unanimous support when it was approved by the King County Council in June.
Dunn also sponsored previous EMS levy reauthorizations in 2006 and 2012. He currently serves on the EMS Advisory Task Force.
“Reagan continues to work to ensure that EMS services are fully funded and ready to respond to medical emergencies,” said Greg Markley, a battalion chief with the Kent-based Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. “We value Councilmember Dunn’s support for the firefighters, paramedics and EMS professionals of King County.”
The 2020-2025 Medic One/EMS levy is a property tax levy of 26.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which will cost the owner of a $500,000 home approximately $133 a year. This is 7 cents lower than the rate of the previous levy at passage.
King County’s Medic One System handles all 911 emergency calls within the county and provides emergency medical services to 2.2 million people countywide. It has been supported by a property tax levy since its founding in 1979. Survival rates for patients treated by Medic One are among the highest in the world.
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