Kingfisher County Commissioners took an important step Monday, March 23rd toward creating a Hennessey Ambulance District. Now, voters will decide how ambulance service will be paid for in the future.
Commissioners approved a plan to hold an election for people living in the Hennessey Public Schools district. Voters will be asked to approve a small property tax to help fund ambulance services. This type of setup is called an Emergency Medical Service District.
This comes after the Hennessey Town Board approved a six-month contract on March 10 with Mercy Regional EMS to keep ambulance service going. Mercy took over Enid LIFE EMS in December, ending a partnership that had lasted nearly 25 years.
At that March meeting, Mercy CEO Duke Dixon explained that small towns like Hennessey often struggle to support ambulance service because there are not enough calls to cover the costs.
The town agreed to pay $25,000 per month for now, but leaders say a long-term solution is needed. That decision will now be up to voters.
The election will be held June 16, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The proposed district would cover the entire Hennessey school district, about 243 square miles. This includes much of northern Kingfisher County and parts of southern Garfield County.
Garfield County Commissioners have also approved the plan, allowing people in that area to vote.
If approved, the district would create a steady source of funding to help make sure ambulance service stays available for the Hennessey area. More on this subject in upcoming weeks.
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