Watertown EMS Public Discussion | September 24, 2026

The City of Watertown’s September 24, 2026 public discussion focused on Jefferson County’s possible participation in countywide emergency medical services (EMS). County Administrator Michael Lucky reviewed the EMS working group’s recommendations, including using the existing countywide EMS levy-limit exemption, distributing funds in relation to service areas and factors such as population and property value, requiring annual funding plans and maintenance-of-effort reporting, and establishing a five-member EMS commission. The county was considering a 0.25-mill levy, revised from the working group’s initial 0.5-mill request; the presentation estimated about $25 annually per $100,000 of property value and roughly $3–$3.5 million in countywide funding at a quarter mill. Watertown’s estimated allocation was about $536,880 under the newer valuation figures. No levy, contract, or other spending decision was voted on at the meeting.

Discussion centered on whether county funding could help providers address rising call volumes, staffing shortages, overtime, and overlapping calls, while preserving local flexibility and avoiding duplicated payments under existing municipal contracts. Speakers raised concerns about added taxes, administrative costs, and how county funding would interact with local contracts and maintenance-of-effort requirements; others supported a countywide approach and argued that current service levels may erode without new funding. If the county proceeds, it would still need county-board resolutions setting the levy and policies, agreements with recipient agencies, allocation and performance measures, and clarification of state maintenance-of-effort rules. The meeting gathered public input; the 2027 budget had already been set, though a later policy and budget amendment could be considered.