Officials from both the Big River and North Jefferson County ambulance districts had a reason to celebrate on Election Night.
Voters in the Big River district passed a $17 million bond issue, while their counterparts in North Jefferson County district approved a $21 million bond issue.
Both issues were named Proposition Safety. Both required a four-sevenths majority for passage and while both attracted a simple majority in April, they cleared the 57.14 percent requirement this time.
“We’re very appreciative of the community that they support us, and they have given us this option to secure funds to purchase capital items for the next 20 years for the community,” North Jefferson County Chief Jamie Guinn said.
In final, official tallies, North Jefferson County’s bond issue passed with 2,847 yes votes (59.7 percent) to 1,922 no votes (40.3 percent).
Big River Chief Scott Fisher said he was excited that voters approved the bond issue this time around.
“It’s going to kind of do wonders for the district,” he said. “It’s going to change the whole future of the district at this time.”
Big River’s issue passed with 2,720 yes votes (59.09 percent) to 1,883 no votes (40.91 percent).
Officials for both districts say they do not intend to sell the entire amount of bonds approved at once and may not ever sell all of them, but instead will stagger the sales and, in turn, phase in the increase in taxes required to pay them off.
Big River
Fisher said he believes the district was successful this time because it mailed 3,100 letters to potential voters.
“We actually sent letters from myself explaining what a bond entails, how it works, what the cost would be monthly and yearly,” he said. “Everybody could see numbers, because that’s what makes it clear.”
Fisher said an initial sale of $5 million to $6 million in bonds likely would raise the district’s current tax rate of 27.21 cents per $100 of assessed valuation by 6 cents. The owner of a house valued at $150,000 by the county Assessor’s Office would pay $17.10 more per year in property taxes.
Fisher said the initial sale will allow the district to replace the aging House No. 1, 6321 Lorens Lane, in Cedar Hill and replace ambulances and other equipment.
Fisher said the district already ordered a Ford ambulance set to arrive in July 2023 to be paid for with about $280,000 in bond issue money. He said he also plans to order a Dodge ambulance to arrive in October and will cost around $260,000.
“The next plan would be to get the EKG heart monitors ordered and get those here as soon as possible. That’s a piece of equipment that the crews use almost on every single call,” he said. “The ones are 10 years old.”
Fisher said the district plans to go out for bid for an architect to design a new House No. 1 soon.
The district covers about 125 square miles that include House Springs, Cedar Hill, Morse Mill, Dittmer, Ware, Grubville and Byrnes Mill.
North Jefferson County
Guinn said he believes this time was successful because of the information the district released.
“We were able to put out more data, factual information of what cost factors went up, why we need it and what we’re going to be utilizing these funds for,” he said.
Guinn said the district plans an initial sale of $5 million to $6 million in bonds.
Guinn said if and when the district sells the entire $21 million, it would likely increase the tax rate by 23 to 26 cents, so the owner of a house valued at $150,000 by the county Assessor’s Office would pay $65.55 to $74.10 more per year in property taxes –until the first bond issue is paid off, when the rate would decrease.
Guinn said one of the first things purchased will be an ambulance. He said the district has already received a bid for the Horton ambulance for around $350,000 to replace a 10-year-old vehicle that has air conditioning issues.
“The newer technology really helps to keep all the drugs and medications at the temperatures they need to be,” he said.
He said the new ambulance should arrive sometime in two years.
Guinn said an 8-year-old ambulance also will also be replaced with bond issue funds.
Guinn said the first sale of bonds also will be used to retire the $250,000 remaining debt incurred by building House No. 2 at 1130 Gravois Road in the Murphy area in unincorporated Fenton.
The district covers about 32 square miles in the Fenton and High Ridge areas.