UKC Medic One

Kittitas County

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Permanent EMS Levy Approved by Voters

On February 9, voters of Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 approved a permanent property tax levy for emergency medical services (EMS). 

The levy will take effect on January 1, 2017.  It will replace the current EMS levy which expires on December 31, 2016.  Both levy rates are 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, meaning a house valued at $200,000 pays $50 a year in property taxes. 

The EMS levy supports the operation of Upper Kittitas County Medic One ambulance services, including staff, ambulances, supplies, and facilities in upper Kittitas County.  User fees pay for less than half of the cost to operate the ambulance service.  The rest is covered by the EMS levy.

Voters had approved levy funding for the past 18 years, in six year cycles.  The permanent nature of the new levy will remove funding uncertainty and provide stability in operations.  The hospital district will now have the permanent capability to levy property taxes of up to 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation during their annual budgeting process. 

“I believe it is good business to eliminate the cost of running a levy every six years when it has been shown that the levy is necessary to maintain the operations of Medic One in the upper county,” said Floyd Rogalski, President of the Board of Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2.  “With this vote, residents have shown their support for the continued availability of the Medic One program.”

Upper Kittitas County Medic One operates one full-time ambulance staffed 24 hours a day and a second ambulance which is staffed 12 hours a day.  Both are staffed with a paramedic and an emergency medical technician (EMT).

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Nicholson and Benjamin Elected to KCPHD2 Board of Commissioners

On November 3, voters elected Kevin Nicholson and Fred Benjamin to the Board of Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2.

Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 are publicly elected to six-year terms, though terms may be shorter if the candidate is elected to a position that was vacated mid-term.  Kevin Nicholson was elected to a full six-year term.  His term will expire in 2021.  Fred Benjamin was elected to fill the two-year balance of an active term.  His term will expire in 2017.

Kevin Nicholson is a lifelong resident of Kittitas County and graduated from Cle Elum-Roslyn High School in 1995. He served for two years in the United States Army, and was a member of the Cle Elum Fire Department for five years.  During that time, he acted as a first responder for one year and an emergency medical technician for three years.  Kevin holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Spokane Community College and has worked as a registered nurse in an acute care setting in Yakima.

Fred Benjamin is also a lifelong resident of Kittitas County.  After graduating from Cle Elum High School in 1965 he completed a degree in Industrial Technology at Central Washington University.  He retired from a 34-year career with the Washington State Department of Transportation, where he acted as the Equipment Superintendent of the South Central Region.  In this position, he managed over 30 employees.  In addition to his career with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Fred acted as a volunteer with the Cle Elum Fire Department from 1975 through 2011.  During his years as a volunteer, he was active with both fire and emergency medical services response.

Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 is primarily funded by local property taxes.  It operates the only advanced life support ambulance service in Upper Kittitas County, Medic One.  The public hospital district also subsidizes a portion of the operations of KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum to ensure access to after-hours care for Upper Kittitas County residents.