Ballots cast on the Nov. 3 election voted against 6A a measure that would to join the east Custer County area to the West Custer County Hospital District, which operates the EMS service that has served the area since 2018. The Hospital District warned that if the Wetmore region of eastern Custer County did not join, it would end its EMS coverage there.
According to the Wet Mountain Tribune, at stake was around $50,000 in increased property taxes to help pay for EMS equipment and personnel who have been serving the area. About 300 properties would have seen an average increase of $160 per property.
Historically, Wetmore had relied on other districts to provide EMS coverage even though it did not contribute taxes to any EMS district. Until 2018, most of the EMS help came from the City of Florence, a 15-minute drive to the north. But the volunteer fire department also provided volunteer EMS. The West Custer County Hospital District stepped in in 2018 to provide that coverage, even though East Custer County was not part of that Hospital District.
East Custer County residents have voiced reluctance to pay taxes for this service, citing they don’t need it, although, according to the Tribune, the area gets ambulance calls almost weekly. Debate has ensued for the last eight years with no solutions until the Hospital District pushed a vote.
If 6A had been approved, Wetmore area property owners would have also been subject to that tax. About 600 homes in the Wetmore area of Custer County could be without local ambulance service beginning January 1st.
