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MORGANTOWN - If all goes according to plan, renewal of the Mon EMS excess levy initially passed in 2022 will be before the county's voters as part of the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Mon EMS submitted a proposed order and notice to the Monongalia County Commission earlier this week. The commission forwarded the details to the West Virginia Auditors office for review and, barring any complications, plans to take up placement of the levy on the November ballot as part of its upcoming Aug. 19 meeting.
The deadline to approve the language for the ballot is 71 days from Election Day, or Aug. 24.
The original EMS levy, which took effect July 1, 2023, set an initial rate for year one, and included increases of about 1% annually for years two, three and four.
Rates for year four, which we're currently in, are 4.8 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation for Class II (owner occupied) property and 9.6 cents for every $100 of Class III and IV (commercial) property.
Based on the draft order presented to the commission, renewal of the levy would not include annual increases, but hold rates at the current level through June 30, 2031.
It's anticipated the levy would generate $5,345,131 annually for an estimated four-year total of $21,380,524. Those totals will fluctuate over the life of the levy based on factors including the addition of new homes and businesses to the county's overall tax base.
Passage and renewal of an excess levy require support from 60% of voters. Voters passed the levy with a 62.4% majority when it first appeared in November 2022.
Mon EMS Interim Executive Director Bob Swickard said he has asked to be included on the county commission's upcoming agenda in order to provide additional details.