FAQ's from Meadows Valley Community members

Q: How will this affect EMS services?

A: This will strengthen local leadership, help improve EMS response times, and give our community a local voice as we grow. It will also provide consistent, continuous care for our residents. 

Q: Why is this important?

A: Keeps our ambulance and crew local and focused on serving our valley. It gives our community a local voice as we grow, helps maintain continuity of care, and allows us to plan for growth without placing the burden on current residents. 

Q: Will this makes my taxes go up?

A: Yes. By excluding Brundage Mountain Resort from the proposed EMS district, the EMS tax rate would increase by approximately $2.05 per $100,000 of taxable value for properties remaining in the district. This proposal only changes the EMS portion of your property taxes.

2026 Taxable Values and EMS Budget

Based on 2026 assessed values from the Adams County Assessor and the Meadows Valley Ambulance budget approved by the Adams County Commissioners, as of September 17, 2026:

• Current EMS District Taxable Value: $973,946,876

• Brundage Area Taxable Value: $68,909,067

• Proposed EMS District Taxable Value: $905,037,809

• 2026-2027 Meadows Valley Ambulance Budget: $262,466

• Potential Tax Loss from Excluding Brundage: $18,570

• Current EMS Tax Rate: $26.95 per $100,000

• Proposed EMS Tax Rate: $29.00 per $100,000

This means a property with $100,000 in taxable value would pay approximately $2.05 more per year for the EMS portion of its property taxes under the proposed district boundaries.

Q: How does this affect me?

A: Our goal is to make sure there is an ambulance and crew ready and available to provide care in our community when you need EMS. This helps keep local EMS resources focused on serving our community and responding when they are needed most. 

Q: How is EMS funded?

A:  The EMS District is funded through property taxes. Currently, the EMS tax is $26.95 per $100,000 of taxable property value. This funding covers EMS staffing, including two full-time FF/EMTs, one part-time FF/EMT, and a part-time Secretary/Treasurer, as well as day-to-day EMS operations.

The Meadows Valley Fire Department also raises an average of $150,000 per year through grants, donations, and fundraisers. These funds help purchase and update equipment, provide training, and support vehicles and other department needs.

Q: Who decides how the money is spent?

A: The Adams County Commissioners would appoint the initial EMS District board, and that board would oversee the EMS funds and determine how they are spent.

The Fire District is governed by three elected commissioners. Each year, the Fire District creates a budget, publishes it in the newspaper, and holds a public meeting to allow community members to ask questions and provide input. The budget is then voted on and approved.

Each year, an independent third-party auditor conducts a professional audit of the money collected and spent throughout the year.

Q: What percentage of the Department is volunteer?

A: 88% of our department is volunteer. Paid personnel provide coverage 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Nights, weekends outside of those hours, and holidays are staffed by volunteers. 

Q: How can I help?

A: Research, ask questions, and share accurate information with your friends and neighbors. Most importantly, make sure you get out and vote on November 3rd. 

Q: What is the future for EMS?

A: EMS is changing, and our community is growing. In February 2027, three of our current EMTs will begin Paramedic School. This will allow us to provide a higher level of care locally while continuing to build our staffing, training, and resources for the future. 

Q: When a new home or homes are built does EMS get more money? Why would you not want more houses in your district to get more money?

A: Not automatically. The EMS budget is a set dollar amount, and the property tax needed to fund that budget is divided among the taxable property within the district. Adding new homes or buildings adds taxable value to the district, but it does not increase the EMS budget.

The 2026-2027 Meadows Valley EMS District budget is $262,466. As more homes are added, that set dollar amount does not change but is in turn spread out to all the taxable properties. So, additional homes also mean more residents and potentially more demand for EMS services.

Q: Who is going to be on the EMS board? Is it the MVFD Fire Commissioners?

A: No. The EMS Board will be separate from the Meadows Valley Fire District Commissioners.

Once the new EMS District is formed, the Adams County Commissioners will appoint the initial board of commissioners for the new EMS District. After that, commissioners will be elected by voters within the different jurisdictions of the EMS District.

Statement: Once this passes you are just going to double my taxes...

A: The new EMS Board, which will initially be appointed by the Adams County Commissioners, will have the authority to set the EMS levy rate within the limits allowed by Idaho law. The maximum rate available to the district is 0.04%, but that does not mean the board will set the levy at that rate.

The intention of the Meadows Valley Fire District Commissioners was not to set the levy at 0.04%. The newly appointed EMS Board will ultimately determine the levy rate.

If the board were to set the levy at the maximum 0.04%, the EMS portion of the property tax would be approximately $40 per $100,000 of taxable value. The actual levy rate will be determined by the EMS Board based on the district's budget and taxable value.

Q: Why do you not want Brundage in your ambulance district? They will be adding a large amount of money for the little amount of calls that are up there. 

A: During the ski season, Brundage had a total of 30 EMS calls. If Meadows Valley Ambulance responded to those calls, it would have taken the ambulance and crew out of the Meadows Valley community for approximately 60 hours.

For the 2026–2027 tax year, Brundage is projected to contribute approximately $18,570 to the EMS tax base. By removing Brundage from the proposed district, that amount is no longer collected from Brundage for Meadows Valley EMS District and the EMS tax burden is spread across the remaining taxable property in the district. Based on the 2026 taxable values, this is how the $2.05 per $100,000 of taxable value difference was calculated. Brundage EMS would get these funds for their ambulance.

https://brundage.com/new-brundage-fire-protection-association-outfitted-trained-and-ready-to-respond/