The bill in the Iowa legislature that allowed for counties to vote to set aside some property tax money to help pay for ambulance service certainly was so poorly written. If you already were paying for ambulance service through city taxation, you now are going to get taxed twice if you own property in the city! Further, the law specifically does not allow this money to be used to pay wages, insurance, retirement and several other large expenses that plague local ambulence seervices who have 24 hour coverage with a paid staff. Property values for farmland are also lower than homeowner land, which still puts the larger percentage of the taxes collected on non-farmland owners. Not to forget, those who vote no have their votes valued more since it takes a 60% yes vote to even collect the tax. The vote is only good for ten years and then has to be voted on again to renew the collection of the Emergency Services tax. Check it out!
The bill in the Iowa legislature that allowed for counties to vote to set aside some property tax money to help pay for ambulance service certainly was so poorly written. If you already were paying for ambulance service through city taxation, you now are going to get taxed twice if you own property in the city! Further, the law specifically does not allow this money to be used to pay wages, insurance, retirement and several other large expenses that plague local ambulence seervices who have 24 hour coverage with a paid staff. Property values for farmland are also lower than homeowner land, which still puts the larger percentage of the taxes collected on non-farmland owners. Not to forget, those who vote no have their votes valued more since it takes a 60% yes vote to even collect the tax. The vote is only good for ten years and then has to be voted on again to renew the collection of the Emergency Services tax. Check it out!