Camas to vote on EMS levy renewal

Residents in the city of Camas will vote Tuesday on a replacement emergency medical services property tax levy, and it’s one that should be pretty familiar to homeowners.

The replacement levy is the exact same as the current levy: it will charge residents 46 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The levy would start in 2019 and last for six years.

“This is a funding system that has been in place since 1978,” Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said. “Then, it was 25 cents per thousand. Basically, we’ve had two increases since then. We’ve had very few increases since 1978, which I think shows that we’re able to be fiscally responsible and put it to good use.”

The money is earmarked for emergency medical services, including ambulance services, equipment and salaries, Swinhart said.

The vote requires a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote to pass.

The current levy brings in just shy of $1.4 million to the city of Camas, according to Cathy Huber-Nickerson, the city’s finance director. She said with rising assessment values, the replacement levy, should it pass, could bring in around $1.49 million a year to the city.

She said the amount that comes in from the levy will depend on a few factors, such as where new construction pops up in the city or whether there’s a recession.

The replacement levy would cost a homeowner $161 a year for a home valued at $350,000.