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Columbiana will consider EMS levy renewal for Nov. ballot

COLUMBIANA — The city needs to consider putting an EMS levy renewal on the November election ballot, Fiscal Officer Mike Harold told council this week.

The 2-mill levy was last renewed by Columbiana and Mahoning county voters in 2012.

Harold said the November general election is the earliest the levy can be placed on the ballot. It cannot be placed on the primary ballot since the current levy doesn’t expire until the end of this year.

A renewal results in no cost increase to taxpayers, and council will need to make a decision on whether to renew the levy by no later than July in order to have it certified by the county auditor and filed with the board of elections.

The five-year levy generates roughly $250,000 a year for the department.

Harold said the department intends to purchase two new cardiac monitors this year, although EMS Coordinator Tom Farley is seeking a FEMA grant that, if awarded, would fund about 95 percent of the $78,000 cost.

The city would be responsible for the remaining five percent.

City residents are not billed for EMS services, although costs are billed to their insurance companies.

“If they don’t have insurance, there is no out-of-pocket expense for residents,” Farley said.

According to the EMS department’s year-end report, the department averaged just under four calls per day and took over 1,200 calls for the entire year.

Of those calls, roughly 53 percent required emergency transports to area hospitals. Twenty-one of the calls EMS responded to were outside the city.

For the month of January, the EMS department received 145 requests for service and transported patients to area hospitals 82 times.

The department averaged just under five calls per day for January.

In other business, council approved:

— Accepting $20,000 from Columbiana County Commissioners to assign an officer to the county’s Drug Task Force for one year.

— A request from the Fairfield Ruritan Club to hold the annual Classic, Custom and Antique Car Show from noon to 4 p.m. July 16 on South Main Street. Funds raised through the show go toward the Ruritan’s Scholarship Fund which is awarded to eligible high school students in the Columbiana and Crestview districts each year.

— A request from Brooke Hitchcock of the Columbiana Softball Association to hold a Tag Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 29 in the city.

— Requests from Jacob Sevek of the American Legion Post 290 to hold the annual Memorial Day parade May 29, with lineup to begin at 9:30 a.m. and parade at 10 a.m., and placing a pole banner across North Main Street on or around Aug. 15 advertising the annual Street Fair.

— Giving first reading to legislation setting the 2017 proposed budget, total funds roughly $43 million.

— Giving first reading to legislation transferring $2.2 million from the income tax fund, with $1.1 million going toward the general fund and $1.1 million going to the capital improvement fund for the payment of current expenses as they may arise.

— Giving a first reading to legislation transferring $480,000 from the general fund, with $150,000 going to the cemetery fund, $185,000 to the park fund, $85,000 to the police pension fund and $60,000 to the special assessment bond retirement fund for the payment of current expenses as they may arise.

kwhite@mojonews.com

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