Representatives David Thomas and Thomas Hall introduce EMS Service Mandate Legislation

State Representatives David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) introduced on Tuesday H.B. 274, new legislation aimed at ensuring EMS service for Ohioans while encouraging shared services and taxpayer savings to residents. 

“We are seeing small governments not able or willing to provide EMS services and instead relying on the taxpayers from other areas to foot the bill,” said Rep. Thomas. “That’s not fiscally responsible or in the best interest of the community.”

H.B. 274 would provide a mandate of EMS service for townships, villages, and cities like what is ensured for police and fire protection while also creating an incentive of grant dollars to those entities who combine or create formal shared services to decrease the cost to their property taxpayer. 

“This legislation covers two issues I’m especially committed to – addressing property taxes and increasing public safety,” said Rep. Hall. “We need to get creative in addressing a growing concern, which is combining services for the betterment of the taxpayers. This bill does that.”

The incentive as written is a $100,000 grant or 50% of operations for the first year following the combination of first responder departments. The lawmakers say this incentive will help to offset startup costs for new services and provide a carrot to decrease costs to taxpayers in the long run for local first responder areas. 

“Our taxpayers cannot continue to pay for the equipment, personnel, and structures in every entity for each of our counties,” said Rep. Thomas. “Our goal is to meet that reality with an encouragement to broaden the base of taxpayers contributing to the costs of services.” 

The lawmakers see these efforts as another step in property tax reform as these local services are covered by property taxes which have seen large growth in the past five years.