Pottawattomie’s 2018 budget was approved this morning at the county’s weekly Commission meeting.
The Board decided on a .75 mill levy increase, which will enable the county to both set up its own in-house ambulance operations service, as well as provide increases in employee benefits.
County Administrator Robert Reece said the new, two million dollar ambulance operation is in response to current provider Via Christi terminating its agreement, and will bring in a little over 30 new EMS employees to the county.
He said employee benefits from the mill levy increase will be seen in some of the county’s groupings, including the Finance and Administration Grouping, which covers most of Pottawattomie’s clerical offices.
These benefits will come in the form of both a health insurance increase of approximately ten-point eight percent and a Kepers retirement payment increase of eleven.
