Voters in several Indian Lake-area precincts will decide on a tax levy for the Indian Lake Joint Ambulance District in the November 3rd general election.
Indian Lake EMS is asking voters to support the measure, saying additional funding is needed to keep up with rising operating costs, staffing challenges, and an increasing number of emergency calls.
The agency covers approximately 130 square miles and operates two stations, responding to more than 1,700 emergency calls each year.
Call volume has increased 36 percent since 2019, rising from 1,269 calls to 1,727 in 2025.
According to Indian Lake EMS, 61 percent of its emergency patients are age 62 or older.
The department is operating on property tax values from 2017, while the cost of medical supplies, medications, vehicles, and staffing has risen significantly.
One of the biggest challenges is the difference between the cost of an emergency response and the amount the department receives in reimbursement.
Indian Lake EMS estimates that an average emergency response costs about $995.
However, Medicare pays approximately $400 for an advanced life support call, while Medicaid pays about $240.
The department says private insurance payments also frequently fall short of the actual cost of providing care.
The proposed levy would generate an estimated $4.15 million annually.
The tax rate would be eight mills, with the ballot estimating a cost of $280 per year for every $100,000 of a property’s market value.
The five-year levy would begin in 2026, with the first tax payments due in 2027.
If approved, the funding would help Indian Lake EMS properly staff both stations, offer competitive wages to hire and retain paramedics and emergency medical technicians, replace aging ambulances and equipment, and provide updated medical training.
Chief Josh Strayer, Captain Logan Brown, and Lieutenant Chuck Wirick joined News Director April King on 98.3 WPKO for Listen Up! Sunday morning:
The department also says the additional revenue would help cover the actual cost of emergency responses and maintain around-the-clock service without delaying necessary improvements.Indian Lake EMS will hold a town hall-style meeting about the levy on Wednesday, October 21st, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Indian Lake High School.
Residents with questions, concerns, or comments about the proposed levy are invited to attend.
The levy will appear on ballots in the following precincts:
- Stokes North
- Stokes Southeast
- Stokes West
- Lakeview
- Washington North
- Washington South
- Russells Point
Voters will choose either “For the Tax Levy” or “Against the Tax Levy.”
