Volunteer ambulance levy increase approved 2-1

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

Lincoln County voters by a 2-1 margin approved a 2-mill tax increase for volunteer ambulance companies in Libby, Troy and Eureka.

The extra $50,000 a year from the tax will enable each company to buy an ambulance every six years. Right now, it's every 12 years.

The news from Tuesday's election pleased Pat Shira.

"I didn't expect to win that big," said Shira, president of Lincoln County Ambulance Board and an emergency medical technician with Troy Volunteer Ambulance.

"We're excited knowing we will have more funds coming in and that we got good voter support for what we do as volunteers in the county," she continued.

For the first time in 14 years, voters were asked to support a tax increase for new ambulances. Currently, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 pays $7.38 annually for ambulance service. That same bill will increase to $11.65 a year.

New ambulances at one time cost $60,000 to $65,000. Now they're $100,000 to $110,000.

One mill of taxes currently is designated for new ambulances. That mill generates $25,000 annually. So it takes four years for one volunteer company to get enough money to buy an ambulance.

The voters' approval will mean that Libby Volunteer Ambulance will get its first new ambulance.

"We've never had one," said Charles McFarland, president of LVA. "I'm very happy. Now the money will be lined up with today's prices, and we will be able to purchase a new ambulance when it's our turn."

That will be in 2008.

Right now, Libby's newest ambulance is seven years old. Pine Bush Volunteer Ambulance in New York earlier this year donated it. LVA in 2002 purchased its second newest ambulance - a used rig also from Pine Bush.

A third ambulance came from Los Angeles. It too is used. The 1998 ambulance has 105,000 miles.

LVA responds to emergencies as far as Happy's Inn to the southeast, Kootenai Falls to the west and Wolf Creek to the north. Sometimes a run can take eight to 10 hours.

Libby relies on billing insurance companies, Medicare and private pay patients for its $175,000 annual budget to serve a 1,430-square-mile area.

Voters in Lincoln County also:

* Supported by a 5,174-1,846 vote to increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour to $6.15 an hour.

* Voted 4,520-2,069 against a constitutional amendment to change the name of the state auditor to state insurance commissioner.

* Supported by a 5,292-1517 vote an initiative to prohibit former state legislators, appointed officials, department directors, elected officials or their personal staff from becoming lobbyists within two years of their departure from state government.

Statewide, voters approved the minimum wage increase and state limits on lobbyists. The amendment to the constitution concerning the state auditor was voted down.