King County, Washington, Proposition 1, Emergency Medical Services Property Tax Levy Renewal (November 2019)
| Proposition 1: King County Emergency Medical Services Property Tax Levy Renewal |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 5, 2019 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local property tax |
| Related articles |
| Local property tax on the ballot November 5, 2019 ballot measures in Washington King County, Washington ballot measures County tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| King County, Washington |
A property tax levy renewal to fund emergency medical services was on the ballot for King County voters in King County, Washington, on November 5, 2019. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of renewing regular property taxes of $0.265 or less per $1,000 of assessed property valuation for six years to fund emergency medical services. |
| A no vote was a vote against renewing regular property taxes of $0.265 or $1,000 of property valuation for six years to fund emergency medical services. |
King County Medic One/EMS services have been funded through a property tax levy since 1979. The property tax levy in place at the time of the election was set to expire on December 31, 2019.[1]
Election results
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King County Proposition 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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501,484 | 80.79% | ||
| No | 119,239 | 19.21% | ||
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- Results are officially certified.
- Source
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Should King County be authorized to replace an expiring Medic One emergency medical services levy by imposing regular property taxes of $0.265 or less per thousand dollars of assessed valuation for each of six consecutive years, with collection beginning in 2020, as provided in King County Ordinance 18931, to continue funding Medic One emergency medical services?[3] |
” |
Explanatory statement
The explanatory statement for the measure is below:[2]
| “ |
If approved by voters, Proposition No. 1 would authorize King County to levy a regular property tax at a rate not to exceed $0.265 per one thousand dollars of assessed valuation on all taxable property within the county. For a property with an assessed valuation of $500,000, the maximum rate would be approximately $133 in the first year. The levy proceeds would be used to fund county-wide Medic One emergency medical services and emergency medical care as more fully described in Ordinance No. 18931 and RCW 84.52.069. The levy would be authorized for a six-year period, with collection beginning in 2020. The levy would be exempt from rate limitations in RCW 84.52.043, but would be subject to the chapter 84.55 limitations on levy increases in years two through six.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
The statement in favor of the measure as included in the King County 2019 Voters' Pamphlet is below:[2]
| “ | Medic One saves lives. Last year, firefighters and paramedics responded to over 268,000 medical 9-1-1 calls for help (one every three minutes).
Our Medic One system is recognized as one of the best emergency medical services system in the world - cardiac arrest victims here are 2 to 3 times more likely to survive, compared to other cities. In 2018, the survival rate was 56%, which is among the highest reported anywhere. It is available to everyone by simply dialing 9-1-1, whatever the medical emergency, regardless of location, circumstances, or time of day. The Medic One levy is not a new tax. It continues funding for a program that provides critical emergency services for everyone in King County. King County voters have supported Medic One by passing levies for over 40 years. At the proposed levy rate, owners of a $500,000 home will pay $133 a year for world class emergency medical care to be at their side within minutes. We depend on Medic One to be there when we need it, 24 hours a day, every day. Now it’s our turn to be there for Medic One. Renew our commitment. Vote Yes on Proposition 1. —Reagan Dunn, Greg Markley, Mickey Eisenberg[3] |
” |
Opposition
If you know of endorsements or arguments that should be posted here, email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Medic One
As of 2019, King County Medic One was a paramedic public service organization that is a part of the county's EMS system. Medic One programs in King County included the following:[4]
- South King County Medic One (Kent)
- Seattle Fire Medic One
- Redmond Medic One
- Vashon Medic One
- Bellevue Fire Medic One
- Shoreline Fire Medic One
Path to the ballot
This measure was introduced in the King County Council as Ordinance 18931 on May 8, 2019. All nine members of the council voted to approve the measure on June 26, 2019.[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ King County, "Facts about the Medic One/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system," accessed October 24, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 King County Elections, "Ballot measures- November 5 2019, General and Special Election," accessed October 17, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ King County, "Medic One," accessed October 24, 2019
- ↑ King County, "Ordinance 18931 Signature Report," accessed October 17, 2019
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