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With early voting already underway and Election Day approaching, Marshall County voters are deciding on all three of the seats on the Board of Supervisors. In the race to serve a full four-year term, three candidates are competing for two seats: incumbent Republicans Jarret Heil and Carol Hibbs, both of whom were first elected in 2022, and Democratic challenger DeMorris Dean, a retired Marshall County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) deputy and U.S. Army veteran.
Their answers to part three of the T-R's candidate questionnaire are printed below, and part four will be published in the weekend edition of the newspaper.
7. With work on the Jail/Sheriff's office project ongoing utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, do you believe further improvements are needed, and would you support putting a bond referendum on the ballot in the future?
Dean: Having spent more than 22 years with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, I understand the importance of providing law enforcement and corrections personnel with a safe and functional work environment.
The current Jail/Sheriff’s Office project includes improvements to areas such as windows, mechanical systems, jail HVAC, behavioral-health cells, booking areas, technology, and other building components. County records show that ARPA funds are being used for the project and that change orders and additional work have been considered as construction has progressed.
I would first want the current project completed and evaluated before determining what additional improvements are necessary. Any future major capital project should have a clearly defined scope, reliable cost estimates, an examination of available funding sources, and an explanation of the long-term financial impact.
If a future project is significant enough to require voter consideration, I would support giving voters the opportunity to decide through a properly structured bond referendum, provided the need, cost, alternatives, and repayment obligations are clearly presented.
Heil: I'm very happy to have some necessary upgrades at the Sheriff's Office since the last renovation was nearly 30 years ago. There is another phase proposed for the Sheriff's Office. I would not like to see this go to a public bond vote to fund it, I'd rather see revenue from future growth from economic development pay for the next phase. This would continue to keep our taxes under control, enhance our infrastructure and strengthen our public safety.
Hibbs: Work is nearing completion on the current improvements being made to the Sheriff's Administration Building/Jail which are addressing the most urgent issues, but there are still improvements to be made in the facility. It was an established building that was retrofitted for its current purpose, which means there are some areas that do not best serve the needs of our law enforcement personnel. Replacing the windows has helped a great deal with energy efficiency, as well as lowering the heating and cooling costs. Work is concluding on reconfiguring and constructing the new booking area, which will improve the process for handling and processing those being brought into the jail. There is still a lot that could be done to improve the efficiency of the building and the work environment. At this time, I don't see a bond issue for this project bring brought to the public in the near future. The Supervisors are committed to supporting our law enforcement personnel and ensuring they have a safe work environment. We have supported the investment of current county resources to increase funding for public safety.
8. Earlier this year, city and county leaders engaged in a series of discussions about the future of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Marshall County. In your opinion, what is the best path forward, and would you support putting a dedicated EMS levy on the ballot to fund the service?
Dean: EMS is one of the most important services a county can provide because response time can literally make a difference between life and death.
Marshall County and Marshalltown, in partnership with towns in the county, have already been examining options for a more unified EMS system. A county agenda document describes a proposed countywide system involving the City of Marshalltown, the County, existing volunteer services, a proposed EMS district system, and a voter-approved levy of up to $0.75 per $1,000 of valuation.
I support continuing toward a coordinated countywide EMS system that provides dependable coverage to residents in both urban and rural areas while recognizing the important role volunteer services have played.
Regarding a dedicated levy, I believe voters should have the opportunity to decide if the proposed system requires dedicated property-tax funding. Before placing it on the ballot, however, residents should receive a clear explanation of the proposed service, staffing model, costs, other revenue sources, and the expected tax impact.
If the numbers demonstrate that a dedicated levy is necessary to provide reliable countywide EMS, I would support putting the question before the voters.
Heil: It's easy to say EMS should be an essential service, but the framework is the big question that comes with a price tag. We have a two-part issue at hand. Number 1, UnityPoint claims they are losing $1 million a year on ambulance service that could possibly lead them to getting out of the ambulance service business. Number 2, EMS and first responders in the rural areas are dwindling due to a shift in our society on volunteerism among other varying issues. The price tag of our problem we need to solve is up to $1.04 million annually (up to $1 million ambulance and $40,000 EMS/first responder). Our solution on the table is increasing county taxes by $1.7 million to fund an annual $3.8 million new ambulance service that is managed by the City of Marshalltown which will compound years into the future. This kind of math should give the Board of Supervisors and Marshalltown City Council a strict warning that the business plan needs to hammered out from every possible angle and sustainability for decades to come must be solidly proven to the people if we firmly believe that this is the right solution to our EMS and ambulance service problem. Additionally, if data centers, renewable energy projects or any other economic development projects come to fruition, we could avoid the need to bond and dig deeper into the pockets of the taxpayers to pay for this. Ideally we want growth to pay for expansion of services to protect our existing taxpayers. I look forward to seeing more details in the plan from the task force and potential new tax revenue projects on the horizon to determine if this is the right solution to bring before the voters.
Hibbs: As explained ahead of the primary election, this is a complicated issue. In 2021, Gov. Reynolds signed into law legislation allowing counties to declare Emergency Medical Service (EMS) as an essential service, which meant that a levy of up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed taxable value to fund EMS services could be passed by voters (60% approval is needed) to support emergency medical services, including ambulance service and the necessary equipment and personnel.
Hardin County has an EMS levy before the voters this November, and the Jasper County Board of Supervisors designated EMS as an essential service in August with the goal of bringing it to the voters in 2027. Tama County passed their EMS levy in 2024.
Marshall County residents have had the benefit of having emergency ambulance transportation provided by our local hospital, in addition to independent ambulance services provided by volunteers from our smaller communities. Over the years, the local hospital (currently Unity Point Health) has provided the emergency ambulance transportation service based only on what fees they could generate from billable emergency responses. When the Affordable Care Act was enacted into law, it changed the way hospitals are paid for their services, and emergency ambulance transportation became much more difficult to maintain financially because the financial reimbursement was put together with an established amount for treating a patient for specific conditions. However, if patients refuse treatment or transportation after an ambulance has been dispatched, or are treated at a different hospital, there is no way for the local hospital to recover their costs. This differs from independent ambulance services, which because they are not a hospital, receive financial reimbursement based on a fee-for-service model. Hospitals are NOT required to provide emergency ambulance transportation, and most do not. Most hospitals now only provide transportation for those people who are already a patient, generally just between hospital facilities-as in the case of a patient being transferred. Emergency ambulance transportation is not financially viable and has become a drain on the overall operation of the hospital, putting the financial viability of other needed services at risk. In Iowa, cities and counties have generally not funded emergency ambulance service for their residents because there has not been a funding mechanism designated for EMS.
Most ambulance services are struggling with adequate staffing and increasingly expensive equipment required to maintain the standard of patient care. EMS in Marshall County has been provided by the hospital, in addition to dedicated volunteers who were often able to leave work to attend to the needs of the community. In recent years, the ability for employees or business owners to leave work is no longer as available as it once was. A decrease in volunteers, together with increased education requirements, along with increased expectations for EMS care capabilities has resulted in the need for paid staff to cover gaps in the number of volunteers providing the service.
Residents expect and need an ambulance with trained personnel to be available to them in an emergency. To date, 21 Iowa counties have now passed a resolution declaring emergency medical services as an essential service, and voters have approved an essential services levy supporting EMS in those counties.
The EMS Task Force, consisting of myself and other representatives from the County, as well as the City of Marshalltown, UPH-Marshalltown Hospital and EMS volunteers from State Center and Gilman have been meeting to assess the current situation, research how other counties are dealing with this same issue, and recommend a sustainable service model for the future. After reviewing the results of a study and getting approval from the governing bodies to move forward with researching options, the Task Force is currently interviewing representatives from other counties that have established a county-wide emergency ambulance service. Representatives are working on a proposed business plan for the service. We hope to have a recommendation for a sustainable ambulance service model for the governing bodies in early 2027.
With the right plan for providing a county-wide emergency ambulance service (utilizing assets currently available, supplementing with paid staff, in addition to supporting current volunteers), I would support bringing an essential services levy to the voters of Marshall County.
Contact Robert Maharry at (641) 753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.