Ambulance levy causes heartburn for northern Powell County residents

OVANDO – More than 50 people attended a citizen-initiated meeting at the Ovando School Sept. 16 to discuss the Powell County Ambulance Service levy that the voters approved last November.

Ovando and Helmville residents expressed their concern that they would be paying taxes for a service they do not receive. While Powell County Commissioners and the Deer Lodge Medical Center CEO addressed some concerns, many questions were left unanswered. Another meeting is scheduled Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in Helmville, location to be announced.

The Powell County Ambulance Service is a privately owned, volunteer ambulance service that provides service to the city of Deer Lodge and surrounding area, the Interstate 90 corridor and Highway 12 up to Avon. In northern Powell County, the communities of Elliston, Avon, Helmville and Ovando areas are covered by other emergency service providers.

In 2018, the Powell County Ambulance Service was in jeopardy of closing due to a lack of volunteers and decreased funding.

That fall, the Silver State Post reported the Ambulance Service had four volunteer EMTs and seven local drivers with a few EMTs in surrounding communities. Powell County Commissioner Ralph Mannix Jr. said at the Sept. 16 meeting that for at least the last year, the ambulance would often respond with only one person and try and recruit a deputy or trooper to drive the ambulance so the EMT could care for the patient.

"That couldn't continue," said Mannix.

Since the Powell County Ambulance Service is a private service, it receives no county funding and operates solely on user fees and donations. They currently have two functioning ambulances and one that needs work

Lori Schalk, president of the ambulance service, told the Silver State Post in their Sept. 26, 2018 issue that several factors have reduced their budget including decreased user fees, less Medicaid reimbursement and fewer transports for Montana State Prison inmates after the prison hired a doctor.

The Ambulance Service proposed a permanent, 14 mill, county-wide levy for $249,200. The Commission approved Powell County Resolution 2018-18. It went to the voters on the Nov. 6, 2018 ballot.

The levy assesses property valued at $100,000 would pay $18.90 per year and $37.80 per year for property valued at $200,000. The levy provides the Ambulance Service with funds to partner with the Deer Lodge Medical Center to provide 24 hour, seven day a week coverage with two paramedics and EMTs.

Mannix said at the Sept. 16 meeting that the county recommended the Ambulance Service only ask the areas that they serve for the levy. To run a special election would have cost the Ambulance Service around $5,000. However, the Powell County Election administrator told the Silver State Post that the Ambulance Service could have directed the levy question towards specific precincts on the general election ballot, requiring no additional cost to the Ambulance Service.

Schalk told the Silver State Post prior to the Nov. 6 election that the Ambulance Service chose to run the levy across the entire county to avoid the extra cost of running a special election. She also claimed losing the Ambulance Service would affect the entire county.

The ambulance levy passed 1,611 to 1,076 votes. Of the 13 precincts in Powell County, the levy only failed in three voting precincts: Precinct 14 that contains Ovando, Precinct 12 that contains Helmville and Precinct 1 that contains Avon.

Precinct 14 and 12 voted the levy down by a large margin. In Precinct 14, the vote was 54-108. In Precinct 12, the vote was 46-94. In Precinct 1 the levy failed to pass by 11 votes, 67-78. Even though Elliston, in Precinct 4, will not receive service, they passed the levy.

According to information provided to Powell County by the Montana Department of Revenue, the taxable value of Precinct 14 is $1,116,319. The expected income for the levy from the Ovando area would be $15,628.47, 6.2 percent of the levy.

The taxable value of Precinct 12 is $1,027,074. The expected income for the levy from the Helmville area is $14,379.04, 5.8 percent of the total.

At the Sept. 16 meeting, CEO of Deer Lodge Medical Center Tony Pfaff explained that the hospital agreed to take over the Ambulance Service with additional funding. The hospital estimated they would lose $311,000 to run the Ambulance Service with no additional funding. Since the levy will generate $250,000, the Hospital District will be left with a $60,000 deficit if operations continue status quo.

"The intent would be a BLS service with ALS capabilities. They will be able to do more runs than what they were doing before so hopefully we will come closer to breaking even," said Pfaff.

Pfaff said the cost will primarily pay for staffing, supplies and minor costs associated with equipment. They currently have two paramedics on staff at the Medical Center and will hire EMTs to cover the ambulance 24/7 with one crew on all the time and another on call for back up.

Pfaff said the Medical Center would take over in November when they start collecting the levy. After that he expects the Powell County Ambulance Service will be dissolved and the Hospital will form another company that will be a sole subsidiary of the hospital, funded in part by levy.

The new company will own the ambulance and will be renamed. Then the hospital will contract with that entity to provide staffing.

Since the levy is specific to the Powell County Ambulance Service, the public asked if it dissolves, will that nullify the mill levy?

Powell County Attorney Kathryn McEnery said it is probably not as simple as changing the name, but is unsure if the operation change will negate the levy since the Hospital District is also a 501c3.

Members of the community felt that the levy was misrepresented in northern Powell County.

First the name "Powell County Ambulance Service" created confusion because many felt it implied a countywide service. Now they are forced to pay taxes for services they don't receive.

Second the informational meeting held in Helmville two weeks prior to the Nov. 6 election was too late because many of the absentee voters had already sent in their ballot.

Mannix said since the Powell County Ambulance Service is not a county entity, it was up to them to reach out to the rural communities to inform them about the levy. He didn't feel the levy was misrepresented at the Helmville meeting and felt it was clear that the Ambulance Service would not include Ovando, Helmille, Avon or Elliston.

Mannix recognized that an ambulance coming out of Deer Lodge is not effective medical service for northern Powell County.

"We realize that you are very seldom going to get service up here just because it's not feasible for timing," said Mannix. "We could try and supplement."

Members of the public made several comments. Many pointed out that with a $60,000 deficit, they don't see the Hospital District being willing to pay a percentage back to northern Powell County to help them compensate the service they receive from Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance and the Avon Quick Response Unit (QRU).

Aaron Birkholz, president of the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance board, said the Lincoln Ambulance has contracted with the Powell County Sheriff's Office since the 1970s and is the sole ambulance service for the Ovando/Helmville area. They are a completely volunteer service in a community of around 700-1,000 people. They require $120,000 per year to operate and every year they run a $30,000-$40,000 deficit.

"The Lincoln Ambulance receives nothing from the levy," said Brikholz. "The community of Lincoln funds the Lincoln Ambulance that covers [the Ovando] area."

Mannix said no money has been allocated because nothing has been collected. As soon as they start collecting taxes, Powell County will look at options for supporting surrounding services.

Birkholz said the Commission has no control over allocating funds for the ambulance service since the levy was run specifically for the Powell County Ambulance Service. He added that in Montana law, each county is allowed one designated ambulance service funded through a levy. Lincoln ran a mill levy under their Fire Service and that is what is keeping the ambulance service operational.

Pfaff said he's not opposed to helping Lincoln Ambulance with supplies or training or even funds.

"We are just new to all this and are still trying to figure out what is going on," said Pfaff.

Possible solutions that were proposed at the Sept. 16 meeting included paying an out-of-district fee for service like school districts; compensate the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance, Helmville QRU and Avon QRU based on a percentage of the levy; protest the levy by not paying it or repeal the levy.

Mannix didn't know if or how funds could be moved around for services rendered. He said it may be possible through an interlocal agreement but that would need further research.

McEnery said the only thing that can be protested is the taxable value of your property when paying taxes under protest. It is not legal for a property owner to withhold payment on a portion of their taxes without being subjected to all of the legal consequences of not paying taxes.

Mannix said to repeal the levy would require a petition to the commission and then another countywide vote. Whoever requested the election could be responsible for paying around $5,000.

Those in attendance agreed to have another meeting to receive answers to questions raised and decide the next steps. The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Helmville Community Hall.

For more information email Leigh Ann Valiton, [email protected].

Editors note: The BVD was unable to make it to Ovando for the meeting, so a big thanks to the Pathfinder for sharing this story.