Konawa, Seminole, Wewoka propose new tax

Justin Lofton Staff Writer

Konawa May 19, 2009 12:40 pm

— Seminole County is proposing a new 522 Emergency Management Services tax to keep ambulance services going and to cover the reduced amount of insurance money being reimbursed.
“The 522 is a proposed ad valorem tax that would take three tenths of a penny and put it straight to use for EMS operations, equipment, salary and stuff like that,” Konawa EMS Director Kenny Klepper said.
“It’s basically just a way for us to be able to support our EMS service area,” he said.
The tax would not change the benefits offered to those within the Seminole County EMS districts but would simply make them more sustainable. It would also take away an EMS fee that Konawa residents get on their utility bill.
“Here in the city of Konawa, they do have a 10 dollar fee on their utility bills,” Klepper said. “If we do pass the EMS district (522), that would go away.”
This small tax would save Konawa’s EMS, which is unsustainable as of now, Klepper said.
“Right now the city of Konawa is subsidizing the EMS and because of increased gas prices, increased supply prices and everything like that, plus the reimbursement of medicare is becoming less and less, I’m afraid the city would not be able to subsidize us anymore and, therefore, would have to let us go,” Klepper said. “In a nut shell, we’re really depending on this 522 to pass or we may actually lose the ambulance service here in Konawa.”
Ambulance service to Konawa would then have to come from the React EMS in Shawnee or from Valley View Regional Hospital in Ada.
“That would increase response time to any kind of call by 30 to 45 minutes, depending on where it is,” Klepper said. Klepper and the Konawa EMS have been working with the EMS for Seminole and Wewoka to divide the districts and allocate the proposed funds. They’ve discussed the EMS district with the Seminole County commissioners and are waiting on an election to put the tax on a ballot.