Hamilton County is showing huge numbers of early voters, County Auditor Kim Schaa said Monday.

“We have 10,184 registered voters in Hamilton County as of 2 p.m. today we have had 2,242 voters either request a ballot be mailed to them or have walked into the courthouse and voted in person,” she said.

Of the ballot items facing voters in Hamilton County, perhaps the Emergency Medical Services request is the one that needs greater explanation.

The EMS request is for 30 cents per $1,000 of taxable property in the county, according to the Hamilton County EMS System Advisory Council, which earlier this year asked the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors to approve putting the measure on the November 5 ballot.

This is a 15-year request.

Schaa explained how it would be calculated.

“The EMS Levy will increase a Webster City taxpayer by 30 cents for every $1,000 in taxable value,” Schaa said.

“For example: A home with a taxable value of $100,000 at the current levy of $41.79866 per $1,000 of value would see the levy increase to $42.09866 per $1,000 of value.

“In tax dollars it would go from $4,180 to $4,210, an increase of $30.”

That is what a yes vote would approve.

The need

Hamilton County EMS System Advisory Council has been clear in its push for the proposed levy, explaining that while county fire departments are taxpayer supported, EMS responses are paid either privately or through Medicare or Medicaid.

“EMS response has become expected in Hamilton County,” according to Duane Hendrickson, who leads the Advisory Council. “The service is not supported by tax revenue as in law enforcement and fire. EMS is funded with insurance billing. The cost of each call is what is billed.

“However, while private insurance usually pays 100% of the bill, Medicare pays 60% and Medicaid pays 20%.

Of course, the uninsured sometimes remain uncollected.”

The levy initiative, he said, would enable the seven services in Hamilton County to maintain a more uniform standard of care throughout the county.

While this levy has been discussed as an equipment levy and there is a critical need for equipment, Hendrickson has said in the past, the levy would also help pay for initial emergency medical technician training and continuing education.

To pass, the initiative must get at least 60% of the vote.

“Vote yes for EMS,” Hendrickson likes to say.

If you skip over it on the ballot, he added, “you just voted no.”