Rural ambulance funding goes on Lower Valley ballot

Voters in Mabton, Grandview and the surrounding county area will decide on the November ballot whether to support rural ambulance service.

Yakima County commissioners are asking voters in those areas to approve a levy measure that would fund ambulances. The levy would boost property taxes 25 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation. That's $25 per year for a $100,000 home.

Prosser Memorial Hospital operates an ambulance service that covers Mabton, Grandview and the unincorporated area of Yakima County around it. The four-ambulance fleet also serves Prosser and portions of Benton County.

The ambulance fleet, which serves an area of 1,000 square miles, has been operating more than $400,000 in the red since 2006 because of unexpected changes in the way Medicare reimburses for transporting patients.

The public hospital used to claim a higher reimbursement rate because of its rural location, but federal auditors quit making the exception in 2006.

There is no private ambulance service in the area.

"They can't do it for nothing forever," said Ron Gamache, a Yakima County commissioner and a former volunteer firefighter.

November's levy measure applies only to the Yakima County cities and area. It does not apply to the Benton County area served by the ambulance fleet.

The hospital itself is funded by Benton County taxpayers as far east as Benton City. Yakima County residents are not assessed.

Yakima County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution on Aug. 5 to create the levy district. However, voters must approve funding it with at least a 60 percent supermajority.

"Sooner or later, we're all going to want an ambulance," said commissioner Rand Elliott.

Earlier this year, Benton County commissioners declined the public hospital's request to form a similar levy district, asking Prosser Fire District No. 3 to research providing ambulance service. That could cost $558,000 per year, plus $220,000 in start-up money. To pay for it, the fire district might have to seek its own emergency medical levy.

Nothing will be on the ballot in November for Benton County voters, but hospital officials will try again next year, said Jim Tavary, hospital CEO.

County officials have agreed to discuss it again in the first part of next year, said Max Benitz Jr., Benton County commissioner.

Hospital officials persuaded the cities of Grandview, Mabton and Prosser, as well as Yakima County, to sign one-year contracts to keep the ambulances running at full speed through this year. Only Benton County turned down the one-time request, but the hospital continued service levels anyway.

If November's funding request fails, the hospital will ask the cities and the two counties for short-term help again, Tavary said.

That's a tall order. Grandview and Mabton both have cut back on expenses and services the past year to balance their cities' budgets.

If the cities can't do it, the hospital will have to cut back on service, meaning longer response times, Tavary warned.

"In this economic climate, there are no assurances," Tavary said.

The proposed levy would add to an emergency medical service all Yakima County voters already pay. That levy, also 25 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, funds extra medical training and equipment for firefighters, but no ambulance service.

Meantime, the Yakima City Council opted last month to not ask its voters for an emergency medical service levy that would have added extra firefighters and improved paramedic training.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.