This ambulance serves 10,000 people in Stephenson county 24-7. But voters will soon decide if a ride to the hospital from the Tri District Ambulance will continue.
"If the referendum fails and we lose the monies coming in, we will be forced to shut our doors," Ed Koelling said.
A no-nonsense answer from the President of the Tri District Ambulance serving Rock City, Dakota, Davis and half of Lake Summerset. They're asking voters in those areas for a tax hike to maintain a full time staff of six.
"We only have enough money to make it possibly at the very latest to summer of 2009," Koelling said.
If approved, the tax hike would generate an extra $240,000 dollars a year. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay approximately $75 more per year to the Tri District Ambulance.
"Whether it's a tough time to do it or not, I think the stock market's coming back, they passed that bill today It's something we very much need," Lake Summerset Resident Gordon Borth said.
"It would be terrible to lose a service and have to wait an hour for an ambulance to get here from another community," Rock City Resident Dianne Meinert said.
Supportive residents who also value Tri City Ambulance's work at high school football games. They're all hoping to score big this November so they don't close the door to a ride like this.
While we were out Friday, we didn't find anyone opposing this referendum. Residents we talked to say that It actually hasn't been a topic too many people are talking about right now.
Koelling says the existing funding they get from taxes and ambulance ride fees just aren't enough to cover a full time staff, which they started in may of this year. And they want maintain that staff going forward because they don't have the manpower to stay on with volunteers if the referendum fails. There are 3 upcoming meetings to get more information on this ballot questions. They are October 6th, 7 pm at the Lake Sommerset Lodge. October 13, 7 pm at the Rock City fire hall. October 22, 7 pm at the Davis fire hall.