Invitation to Submit Arguments For or Against Proposition #1

The Juab County Commission has passed resolution 08012022 authorizing the following proposition, titled Proposition #1, to be submitted to the registered voters of Juab County at the next general election on November 8, 2022:

“Shall Juab County be authorized to impose a 1% sales and use tax for the funding of emergency medical services within Juab County?”

Juab County hereby submits the following argument in favor of the proposition:

Juab County EMS is in crisis. Over the last four years, EMS call volumes have more than doubled, greatly increasing daily demand. While Juab EMS has done its best to keep up with this increase, inadequate funding makes it impossible for Juab EMS to support the county’s growing needs.

According to the “State EMS 2013-2017 Per Capita Average Trauma Incidents by County Report,” Juab is #5 in Utah with other rural areas and ambulance services landing in the top spots. Yet, in its 3,406 square miles, Juab County only has three EMS stations, totaling seven ambulances and 40 EMTs/Paramedics, most of whom are paid volunteers who must leave their regular day jobs to help in a time of need.

Despite common belief, Juab EMS is not a smaller version of an urban department. Rather, as its own department, it faces unique and challenging obstacles to give our communities the best care possible. It wasn’t until this year that Juab EMS was finally designated an essential service by the state of Utah. However, zero funding from the legislature was attached to this designation.

Dwindling volunteer numbers, overreaching regulations, a significant increase in public expectations, the stress of not having enough ambulances to reply to the high number of calls, and a broken funding model all stand in the way of improvement.

Additional funding for Juab EMS will make a crucial impact in keeping up with increased demands.

Juab EMS costs are not completely covered by ambulance rates or patient transport fees, and the county is unable to pay the difference to keep the department running. Rather, it’s local, property taxes that make up the difference. Implementing the 1% sales tax will share the burden of EMS services with those who spend money within Juab County

The 1% sales tax for Emergency Medical Service will also replace a portion of the local burden by using tax revenue from non-residential Medicare and Medicaid patients to help fund Juab EMS.

On average, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements cover one-third of the actual costs to maintain equipment, stock medications, and pay for insurance and other fixed expenses. The 1% Emergency Medical Services Sales tax will collect additional revenue to offset the property tax burden and help fund the Juab EMS department, specifically ambulance usage.

Juab County EMS is asking Juab County voters to vote for a 1% sales tax increase to fund rural emergency medical services in Juab County pursuant to Utah Code 59-12-802.

This funding increase will help fund Juab County’s increasingly in-demand EMS Department while ensuring our people, and visitors to our local communities receive the best care possible.

Mika Sperry
Juab County EMS Director

The Juab County Clerk, as the elections officer, hereby invites any eligible voter who is registered to vote and is a resident of Juab County, to file a written request to submit an argument for, or an argument against, the ballot proposition. Requests to submit an argument must be filed in writing with the Juab County Clerk by close of business on September 6, 2022. If two or more eligible voters wish to submit an argument for, or an argument against, the ballot proposition, the County Clerk will designate one of the eligible voters to submit the argument. The Juab County Clerk will notify the eligible voter of his or her selection to submit an argument by close of business on September 6, 2022. Upon receiving approval from the Juab County Clerk, the eligible voter must submit the argument to the Juab County Clerk at 160 North Main Street, Nephi, UT 84648 no later than close of business on September 12, 2022. Arguments cannot exceed 500 words in length and must include the eligible voter’s name, residential address, postal address, email address, and phone number. Arguments will be posted on the Statewide Electronic Voter Information Website and the Juab County Website and in other places as determined by the elections officer.