(The Center Square) – A lower-rate EMS levy proposed by acting King County Executive Shannon Braddock would extend emergency services funding through 2031.
The Medic One/EMS levy funds King County’s network of medical services, which operates in a coordinated partnership with four dispatch centers, five paramedic agencies, and 23 fire departments.
The network previously included 28 fire departments, but recent consolidations have reduced that number to 23, according to Amy Enbysk, Braddock’s press secretary.
Enumclaw no longer provides EMS dispatch services; coverage has been absorbed by one of the four remaining regional dispatch centers.
The proposed rate is set at 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and would cost the owner of a median-valued home about $211 in 2026. According to the county, this would be one of the lowest EMS levy rates in Washington.
The current levy began at 26.5 cents in 2020, but as assessed values increased, the effective rate dropped to 24.8 cents in 2022.
King County voters have paid property tax dollars toward EMS services since 1979. The levy has been renewed several times, typically with broad voter approval. The current levy was renewed with nearly 80% of voters.
According to a September Finance Subcommittee meeting, a 25-cent levy rate would result in $1.56 billion in total revenue for the King County EMS fund through 2031.
King County’s EMS system serves more than 2.3 million people across the region. The county estimates that the regional network provides emergency services every two minutes on average.
“Our regional system is recognized as one of the best emergency medical service programs in the country,” Braddock said in a statement. “This proposal continues to invest in lifesaving services that every community can count on.”
If approved by the King County Council, the six-year levy renewal would appear on the November general election ballot.
