Medina officials share details about Issue 4

MEDINA, Ohio – Medina voters will be asked to consider a renewal levy that supports the city's life support team this November.

Issue 4 will ask residents if they want to renew a levy that funds Medina's share of the EMS/life support team.

According to the ballot language, the renewal of the levy is expected to generate $1.79 million annually to fund Medina's share of life support/EMS services. Medina and Montville townships each have their own levies to support their share of the service. This levy is a renewal and will not result in a tax increase for property owners. It will continue to cost the owner of a $100,000 property approximately $71 annually. The levy will last for five years.

"The levy was last renewed in 2019," said Finance Director Keith Dirham. "We did have an increase in 2019 but there is no increase this year."

Councilor Dennie Simpson explained that the first levy to fund the life support team took place in 1975. He said that at the time, there were two funeral homes in the city that had ambulances, but as state requirements for specific equipment and training increased, the owners of the funeral homes said maintaining the ambulance service became cost prohibitive for them so they approached the city to see if they would take over the service.

"The mayor and council at the time approached the hospital administrator who went to the hospital board with a proposal to administer the service if the city passed a levy to fund it," Simpson said. "They decided to try it for a year if the levy passed and it worked out very well for the hospital and the city."

Simpson said that when Cleveland Clinic took over the hospital, they embraced the program and kept it going.

"Our community members are so fortunate because the training you get from the Cleveland Clinic is superior," he said. "This has worked well for almost 50 years so I hope citizens find it in their hearts to renew this levy."

More information about the levy can be found on the Medina TV Facebook page.