IOWA COUNTY, Iowa — Questions are mounting over a proposed EMS tax levy in Iowa County that would impact both emergency response funding and property tax bills.
Under the proposal, county supervisors could collect up to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value for as long as 15 years, KCRG reported.
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Supervisor Abigail Maas argued the county should first explore ways to cut costs before turning to residents for additional funds.
“Before we go to the taxpayers for another levy, I think we need to fix our current budget,” Maas said
Maas pointed to county records showing dispatched calls dipped slightly over the last two years, even as EMS expenses rose more than 30% from 2022 to 2025. She said she supports EMS but questioned whether the data justifies another tax, arguing the numbers don’t support adding a third ambulance or another $1.50 levy.
Maas said that if voters approve the levy, she will push to use as little of it as possible.
At the town hall, first responders advocated for the levy, saying it could boost their funding, the Hometown Current reported. Iowa County currently does not provide financial support to quick response teams, which are part of EMS but separate from the county ambulance department. However, according to Iowa County EMS & Safety Rabe, the ambulance service does provide some disposable supplies, continuing education and shared software.
Maas said she ran for supervisor on fiscal responsibility and transparency. She said she understands people have an emotional reaction when it comes to emergency services, but that isn’t fiscally responsible, adding, “We can’t always justify emotional responses.”
Iowa County contracted with several companies before partnering with Marengo Memorial Hospital in 1981, which ran the ambulance service while the county covered equipment and subsidized costs, according to the Williamsburg Journal Tribune. The hospital’s operating expense totaled $939,489 in 2012, with the county’s subsidy averaging $279,537 a year.
The Iowa County EMS Association, formed in 1988, is governed by a 12-member board representing first responders, rescue and ambulance teams, and has received state and grant funding for training and equipment. Maas said the county now pays $900,000 a year for ambulance service.
According to Rabe, 53% of the ambulance budget comes from service charges and 47% from property taxes, with total expenses for fiscal year 2026 reaching $2.3 million.
The groundwork for the ballot measure was laid in September 2025, when supervisors passed a resolution designating EMS as an essential service, a required step before an EMS levy could be brought to voters.
Voters will decide the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
