King County voters overwhelmingly approve Medic One Levy

Shoreline Medic One van
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a Medic One levy that will fund countywide emergency medical services (EMS) for 2020-2025. 

Unofficial results showed 79.1% of voters approved the measure. This levy replaces an expiring Medic One levy that has provided critical funding to the EMS system for the past six years.

The 2020-2025 Medic One/EMS levy is a property tax levy of 26.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which will cost the owner of a $500,000 home approximately $133 a year. This is 7 cents lower than the rate of the previous levy at passage.

King County’s Medic One System responds to all 911 emergency calls within the County and provides emergency medical services to 2.2 million people countywide. It has been supported by a property tax levy since its founding in 1979.

Survival rates for patients treated by Medic One are among the highest in the world.