Grays Harbor County Fire District 5 will have a levy on November’s general election ballots. The levy is requested to fund emergency medical services.

The district commissioners on Aug. 11 passed a resolution allowing for the proposed renewable 6-year levy to be put on ballots for consideration. The levy requires a supermajority (at least 60 percent approval) to pass.

The levy would fund an ambulance memberships to help pay for citizens of teh district to be transported to hospital emergency rooms without incurring out-of-pocket expenses (paying only the insured amount, as allowed by law).

A 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, owners of properties worth $100,000 would pay $50 per year in additional taxes if the levy is approved by voters. The levy would begin collection in 2017. According to a fact sheet from the district, the levy would generate some $250,000 per year.

The levy could be spent on EMS vehicle and equipment maintenance, medical equipment and supplies, training, and strengthen staffing (including volunteers and part-time staff).

According to District 5 Chief Dan Prater, the past 10 years have seen the call volume rise to “historic levels,” with EMS calls comprising more than 80 percent of the calls each year. In 2015, the district responded to 1,952 incidents.

In 2014, voters supported funding two new amublances through an equipment bond measure. The last EMS levy, according to the district’s fact sheet, was 1991-1997 for 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.