Emmet County EMS to have millage request on August ballot

EMMET COUNTY — Voters in Emmet County will consider a millage to help fund EMS services in the August primary.

The millage helps support around half of the operational budget for the county's EMS services, said Emmet County EMS Director Brian Patten.

As a part of the operational budget, money from the millage supports staff salaries, medical supplies, ambulances, fuel, maintenance and more. The other half of the budget is accounted for through billing for services. Out of county townships in Cheboygan and Charlevoix counties also contribute funds to Emmet County for services, according to the Emmet County EMS website.

The millage request is for five years, which would allow the EMS to assess millages from December 2024 through December 2028. The millage will expire after it is assessed in December 2028.

"For budget funding, it basically supplies us with budgeted funding from 2025 through 2029," Patten told the News-Review.

The millage request is for a new 0.70 mill levy, though the same millage request was approved by voters in 2019. It is considered to be a new millage rather than a renewal because the previously-approved millage expired with the 2023 tax levy, which has funded the 2024 year of operations.

Subscribe:Get unlimited access to our local coverage

The renewal will be a slight increase in what was actually levied in 2023, if approved, due to Headlee rollbacks. This millage will also be subject to Headlee rollbacks over the next five years, Patten said.

"With the nationwide challenges with EMS funding, it's great to have the support of the local community that values us as a public safety resource," Patten said. "We hope they'll continue to support us as a county department."

For more information on the millage renewal, visit emmetcountyems.org.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham atkgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at@KarlyGrahamJRN.