Canyon County Paramedics Chief Michael Stowell emphasized the ongoing needs of the community: The needs are still there; we just decided, let’s try a temporary override this time. The paramedics are asking voters to approve a new levy after their $5.8 million override levy failed for the second time last November. Looking back at all the feedback we received for both levies, the most consistent feedback we got was that the reason for the no votes was the permanence, Stowell said.
The proposed temporary $7.9 million levy would last for only two years, costing taxpayers countywide $18.62 per $100,000 in assessed property value. We aren’t growing; we are actually going back, Stowell said. He noted that the agency is losing a Nampa station and is already experiencing a 15% turnover in staff. With the increasing population in Canyon County, the demand for services is rising.
