Each year when the South Beach Ambulance draws up their budget, they request a certain amount of money from each fire district and the City of Westport. This amount is based on the assessed value of all the property in their area of operation divided into the assessed value of property for each fire district and the City of Westport. That percentage determines how much money each shareholder has to contribute.
At their last meeting held on May 5, the commissioners for Pacific County Fire District 5 that covers the North Cove and Tokeland area passed a resolution requesting an excess levy amount not to exceed $2.12 per $1000 assessed value. This levy will be on the August ballot for voter approval. This comes out to an amount somewhere around $200,000. This is in addition to the regular levy rate of $0.50 per $1000 assessed value already approved by the voters. The total amount requested by the South Beach Ambulance was approx. $192,000 which includes the regular and excess levy amounts. Why is the excess levy amount so high?
Where is this extra money going? Why the large increase in the budget requirements for South Beach Ambulance? I believe the amount requested last year was just over $100,000. How can this increase be justified?
I have also heard that the amount requested by the South Beach Ambulance service from the City of Westport is around $647,000, a substantial increase from last year.
This information is all public record and available to everyone out there. I urge all the citizens of the South Beach area to look into this and start asking questions. I’m on a fixed income, as I know many people in the area are. I can’t afford my taxes being doubled. Can you?
Rick Wilcox
Tokeland