Rising equipment costs cited as primary need
BY MURRAY BISHOFF Special to the Cassville Democrat
The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District is seeking a .5 percent increase in sales tax on the April 8 ballot.
This is the first increase sought by the district for general operations since the original tax passed in 2019.
The Barry County portion of the district includes Monett, Kings Prairie to the east, Capps Creek to the west, and south to Butterfield.
The ballot language includes extraneous language that voters may find confusing. The ballot states: “Shall the Board of Directors of the Barry Lawrence County Ambulance District be authorized to levy an additional sales tax of onehalf of one percent, bringing the total sales tax to one percent, in order to provide for continued sufficient funds to operate the district, provided that the total property tax levy on property within the district shall be reduced annually by an amount which is equal to fifty percent (50%) of the previous year’s sales tax revenue collected by the District?”
The reference to property tax is standard language ambulance districts use on such ballot measures, as recommended by attorney Frank Flashpohler. The district has no property tax currently, and included language on the 2019 ballot stating the property tax would be removed if the sales tax passed. Prior to the sales tax, the district relied heavily on its property tax, which generated about $330,000 a year.
When the City of Monett eliminated its property tax in the 1990s under Mayor Jerry Fulp, the tax was stricken from the city code. The ambulance district, however, did not eliminate the tax. Instead, the board has voted to place the levy at zero annually. The taxation power remains on the books in case of an economic downturn that seriously impacts the district’s operating revenue.
In 2024, the ambulance district collected $1,296,413.83 from its sales tax. An additional .5 percent tax would raise the sum to approximately $1.8 million.
A public meeting was recently held on March 19 to explain the ballot initiative. Flashpohler was on hand to answer questions, as were board members Eddie Laney from District 3, serving northern Monett and Freistatt, and Lee Flory, operations director.
Flory explained the greatest economic pressure placed on ambulance services today is the cost of equipment. A new ambulance, without all the equipment it carries, presently costs more than $314,000, and takes three years to deliver. The cost of ambulances has been rising $15,000$20,000 a year.
Each of Barry-Lawrence’s front-line ambulances has been adding 65,000-70,000 miles per year, with a large percentage of patients going to Springfield or more distant locations. One truck presently has more than 300,000 miles on it, and the newest ambulance is currently out of service for transmission repairs.
Flory said the district would like to order a new rig every year to cycle one of the vehicles out as mileage compounds.
In addition, Flory said equipment used by paramedics and emergency medical technicians has also continued to rise in price. He noted the district recently purchased new Zoll cardiac monitors and upgraded NXT AutoPulse systems for resuscitation of patients, replacing 10-year-old units, at a cost of more than $261,000.
“Supplies in general, even the small stuff, has gone up,” Flory said. “The price of drug bag contents goes up every year.”
Looking ahead, the district would like to upgrade its facilities. The station on Dairy Street in Monett was built in 2001 and has operated at capacity for years. All the beds used by the overnight shifts are fully used. The training room is filled for sessions. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation classes last year had to be broken into day and night sessions. Parking at the station cannot accommodate large classes. Flory said the board has discussed expanding the station for years without reaching any decisions.
Board members have also talked about possibly adding a substation in either Pierce City or Purdy to better serve the area. No decisions have come from those talks. If a substation opened, Flory said one of the three front-line ambulances would move there.
Wages have not been an issue with the district. Paula Flory, operations manager, noted Barry-Lawrence has held to its position of staying within the 75th percentile of wages paid to ambulance services in the area. That has enabled the district to remain competitive among a limited pool of trained responders, many of whom work at more than one service.
The sales tax proposal requires a simple majority to pass.
