In addition to putting an emergency medical services (EMS) levy in front of residents on Aug. 3, the city of Chehalis will preemptively place the same question on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
“You always want to have a backup plan,” Mayor Dennis Dawes said this week.
If approved by voters the first time, the city will have time to remove the levy from the second ballot.
The levy presented to voters this year is a six-year renewal of the one Chehalis voters approved in 2015, which is set at a rate of 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
If continued, it’s estimated to generate $336,409 this year and $412,165 in 2022.
That money would go toward emergency medical services, including personnel, equipment and supplies.
“Since the city’s ability to raise ongoing revenues is limited, maintaining the current level of emergency medical service for the community would be very difficult without the ongoing revenue associated with the levy,” according to an agenda report by Fire Chief Ted Hendershot.
If the council does not preemptively put the levy on the Nov. 2 ballot, and residents reject the measure in August, there would not be enough time for city officials to add it to the next ballot.
