Local officials want Houston County residents to vote ‘yes’ on $5 EMS fee

On Nov. 3, Houston County residents will be able to decide whether to add the fee when they go to the polls if they haven’t already cast their vote.

If the measure passes, county rescue squads and ambulance services are estimated to get a $550,000 annual increase in revenue to help provide emergency services.

“These folks put their lives on the line every day to help save our citizens and this is a way we can help them do their job and help make our county safer,” Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said.

The Houston County Commission approved to have the fee referendum added to the Nov. 3 election ballot in March and Rep. Paul Lee introduced the proposed amendment to be adopted in the 2020 session of the Alabama Legislature, if voters support it.

“It has been shown the pressure that has been put on EMS… through the COVID virus issue and this has just brought to light and magnified the need for what these people need as far as funding is concerned,” Lee said Wednesday. “It’s limited as far as where the money goes. It goes directly to the actual service.

If passed, the revenue will be allocated to providing services. In the exact text of the bill, it states the revenue will go toward the “salaries, equipment, supplies, matching funds, training, or other purposes directly related to the providing of emergency medical services. The proceeds may not be used for construction or maintenance of facilities.” The money may also help offset funds not received for payment of services rendered.

Three percent of the revenue will be given to the Houston County Probate Office for processing the fee.

“Our citizens rightfully expect a lot from our city and county governments and probably one of the more important pieces of that is not only our law enforcement and our fire departments, but our emergency response as well,” Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba said. “We are definitely in support of this because we all don’t necessarily live in the city limits of Dothan. We have family and friends and businesses that are a large part of who we are as the city and county.”

Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza noted the sheer size of Houston County – 587 square miles – is a large area to cover for emergency services that assist the sheriff’s office in their day-to-day operations.

“We need to keep them at a top level and really support them,” he said. “Time is really critical and the way we have them set up right now, they’re very vital to our county and to our citizens.”

Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams noted that rural EMS is facing many challenges, including a decline in volunteerism and lack of funding.

“Lives depend upon maintain staffing and maintain revenue in the rural part of Houston County,” Williams said.

The Dothan Fire Department and Pilcher’s Ambulance Service were included in the bill, but declined to accept revenue so more money can go to rural organizations that need it most.

The referendum that appears as the last item on the Houston County sample ballot is vague in its intent. It simply asks: “Do you favor the adoption of Act 2020-191 of the 2020 Session of the Alabama Legislature?” without any further explanation.

“This was patterned after another county and I think when we put it through, the other county had the same type language and it would’ve been better to have more descriptive language, but it is what it is and there’s no reason crying over spilt milk at this time,” Culver said.

All present at the meeting reiterated their encouragement to residents to vote “yes” on the amendment.