Allen County commissioners say they have until Tuesday to decide whether to put on the Nov. 3 general election ballot a measure to raise the county sales tax by a half cent, going from 1.25% to 1.75%, to fund emergency management services.
It’s not apples-to-apples.
Currently, no sales tax funds are dedicated to the EMS budget.
According to Shannon Patterson, county clerk, ambulance runs and insurance reimbursements bring in about $2.5 million for EMS, while property taxes contribute about $1.2 million to the service. The county collected about $3.7 million in property taxes in 2025.
In 2025, an additional $150,000 was moved from the general fund to the ambulance fund to help offset the purchase earlier that year of an ambulance for $228,465.
Earlier this year, county commissioners turned down an offer by Iola Fire Chief Corey Isbell to join Iola in applying for a federal grant to purchase a $350,000 ambulance. The grant required a county buy-in of $17,500.
Commissioners balked when they understood the ambulance would be under the city’s domain, though would be used by Allen County EMS.
“If the county does not end up with it at the end of the day … then let the city pay that sum,” said County Commissioner David Lee, threatening the camaraderie necessary between the two entities.
Commissioners also came under attack last month when former County Commissioner Dick Works pointed out they pay attorney Bob Johnson Jr., county counselor, about $135,000 a year, well in excess of what neighboring counties pay for legal advice.
If the additional sales tax were passed, it would raise about $1.2 million, bringing total sales tax revenues to $4.7 million.
Currently sales taxes are used for the physical upkeep of Allen County Regional Hospital, $682,000; the county landfill, $1.365 million; and the remaining $1.365 million for the budget’s general fund.
Commissioners frequently point to the new Lehigh Portland State Park as their cash cow, noting the expected visitors will spend freely on food, lodging, fuel and memorabilia.
Though they can’t commit to it, commissioners have long touted that the hoped-for additional sales tax revenue could eventually lower property taxes.
They can’t commit, because future commissioners are free to decide how funds are spent.
A nearly identical ballot measure to raise the county sales tax was narrowly defeated in 2024.
For commissioners to be successful this time around, their best argument is to demonstrate that since that election, they’ve listened to the public, explored sources of outside funding, and trimmed budgets.
