Hardin County is moving forward in the process to designate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as an essential service, with the Board of Supervisors recently approving the third and final public hearing. While the board’s approval marks a major step, the final decision will ultimately be made by voters on a future ballot.
“This is a multi-faceted, multi-pronged, multi-jurisdiction, multi-agency task here. So it’s putting a lot of cooks in the kitchen and trying to come up with a solution to one common goal.”
That is Hardin County Supervisor BJ Hoffman, who explained that, per Iowa law, the county must now appoint an EMS Essential Service Advisory Council to guide the process. However, Hoffman noted that the board is taking a pause before appointing a council. With several local elections underway, including contested mayoral races and open city council seats in the county, Hoffman stressed the importance of ensuring proper representation.
“We have to look at how the constitutionality looks at this in the terms of taxation with representation. So that’s where the conversations really have to go, which if this comes to fruition would be taxation to the people of Hardin County. But I think that needs to come with responsible representation. In my eyes, I believe that people that are elected to position or appointed like township trustees, our city council people, mayors. Now, I do strongly believe that our local EMS providers need to have a seat at that table, but those people that are elected and held responsible to uphold a fiduciary duty should be the ones on there (advisory council) making the final determinations.”
The board is expected to revisit council appointments after local elections are settled, allowing newly elected officials to participate in shaping the future of EMS in Hardin County.
