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MORGANTOWN - Monongalia Emergency Medical Services Interim Executive Director Bob Swickard was breathing a little bit easier around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday evening.
That's when Monongalia County's unofficial election results went live, showing the Mon EMS excess levy easily surpassed the 60% majority needed for renewal.
All told 18,497 voters, about 67.2%, supported the levy while 8,994 voted against it.
"We are grateful to the citizens of Mon County for renewing the levy in support of Monongalia EMS. We appreciate the trust they have placed in our services," Swickard said. "This support will enable us to continue our mission of providing timely, effective, advanced emergency medical care to all of the citizens of our community."
The levy's renewal will keep rates at their current level - 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 - through June 2031.
It's anticipated the levy will generate $5,345,131 annually for an estimated four-year total of $21,380,524. Those projections will fluctuate over the life of the levy based on changes to the county's tax base.
The original EMS levy was passed with 62.4% of the vote in November 2022.
"It's hard not to be elated," Swickard said when asked about the increased confidence this time around. "Mon EMS has grown tremendously over the last five or 10 years. Tomorrow, it's going to be business as usual, and we are going to provide the best care that we possibly can. We're going to continue to always look at improving our service capabilities. It's been the model of all EMS and it won't change."
All results are unofficial until certified through canvassing, which will take place Monday at the county's election headquarters in the Mountaineer Mall.