Florence Area Voters to Decide on Ambulance Service Levy Renewal

Voters in the Florence area will decide in November whether to renew an expiring levy to fund ambulance services in the region. The Western Lane Ambulance District covers coastal Lane County and various rural and inland areas. The district has been operating on a levy rate that has not changed since 2012, despite annual expenses rising due to factors including fuel costs, medical equipment, and personnel services.

The district fields approximately 5,000 emergency medical calls and conducts about 3,700 ambulance transports each year. If the levy passes, the cost to taxpayers would remain the same, set at $45 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value.