Hancock County to Ask for Tax Hike

The Hancock County Board will put a referendum before voters in November to raise the ambulance service property tax rate.

Voters will decide whether to leave the rate at 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation or to increase it to 25 cents.

Board Chairman David Walker says the county needs more than the current $655,000 it pays to support the district

He says, “The way costs of providing the personnel and the machinery to provide a worthwhile ambulance service (are going) we're going to need more funding, because the funding we have is close to inadequate.”

The service has added two heart monitors that cost $32,000 each and power-lift stretchers that cost $13,000 each.

The board has not decided how it would spend the revenue, if voters approve the measure.

The district has about $750,000 in reserves.

Nauvoo and LaHarpe provide their own ambulance service and would not be subject to the increase.