Voters in the St. Clair area said no to new taxes Tuesday, even if it meant properly funding their ambulances.
A ballot measure, Proposition EMS, in Tuesday's election sought a a 35-cent property tax increase that the St. Clair Ambulance District wanted to use to help it address skyrocketing call volumes.
The race was close, with 1,353 voting "no" and 1,245 voting "yes." That means "no" won with 52.08 percent of the vote.
The new tax would have been in addition to a 35 cent per $100 assessed valuation property tax, which was already passed by voters in 1998, and a half-cent sales tax, which was passed by voters in 2007, according to Missourian archives. Those taxes are subject to a mandatory rollback, though — as would the new property tax have been, if it had passed. That means that for every $1 raised through the sales tax, 50 cents goes to the ambulance district and 50 cents goes back to taxpayers through property taxes, meaning the sales tax reduces property taxes. In 2021, because of this rollback, that 35-cent property tax was reduced to 22 cents.
In other words, because this failed, residents of the St. Clair Ambulance District will continue paying a 35-cents-per-$100 assessed valuation property tax and shoppers in the district will continue paying a half-cent sales tax, subject to the rollback system.
District Chief Nick Tiepelman cited increasing call numbers as a reason for the increase. Prior to the election, he noted that in 2009, the district answered 2,257 calls for medical emergencies. In 2020, it answered 3,648, an all-time record that the district is on pace to surpass in 2022. Tiepelman said that last year, there were 483 instances in which neighboring ambulance districts, such as Meramec or Union, had to be called to assist in St. Clair, Tiepelman said. That compares with 176 calls to assist in 2016.
The measure was placed on the ballot by the district itself.
"Obviously we're disappointed," Tiepelman said. "We've been studying for years to determine what the area needs as far as emergency services go. And this was our chance should the majority have voted for it."
He said if the measure had passed, there would be three ambulances in St. Clair by the end of September and another in Lonedell.
"We're not in financial crisis," Tiepelman said. "We're operating completely within our budget. The problem is that the budget doesn't align with what we need to provide to the area."
He said the area needs more ambulances.
"As an example, yesterday, just during the time that people were at the polls, we had 11 calls, and we were out ambulances three different times," he said.
The board is going to have to figure out a plan on how to go forward without the funding, he said.
"We definitely respect their decision," Tiepelman said. "That's the beauty of voting, right? I definitely want them to know that if they have questions or didn't understand it and that's why they didn't vote yes, (they can) definitely follow up."
He said he'd love to walk anyone through the district's budget and operations.
