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Show No Tax Increase... By MARK D. MICKELSEN FARMINGTON - A "yes" vote in the March 2 paramedic referendum won't necessarily mean an increase in taxes in Davis County residents, according to Sheriff Sher-iff Brant Johnson. THE SHERIFF, whose office has administered admi-nistered the program since 1977, said Wednesday passage of the referendum will allow officials to fund the paramedics through a special taxing district, rather than with money from the county general fund. As a result, the sheriffs department will continue to operate the program, but there will be a shift in funding. Instead of the county picking up the tab at $350,000-$400,000 $350,000-$400,000 a year and draining the general fund the paramedics will be handled through a self-funding account. IN ADDITION, the sheriffs department budget will be cut by $350.000 money that was previously allocated by the county, through the general fund, for paramedic service. In short, the March vote represents repre-sents a bookkeeping change. Sheriff Johnson emphasized that by shifting funds, some stability will be added to the paramedic program. Program operators oper-ators will no longer have to worry about the service being cut because it is not considered consi-dered a "mandated" program by the county. i ALTHOUGH ballots for the March 2 referendum re-ferendum say up to 1.5 mills can be set aside for the program, the sheriff said projected pro-jected costs through 1986 total less than one mill per year. In 1982, it will cost the county $379,000 for paramedic service. Of that, approximately approxi-mately $309,000 is used for salaries, $69,000 for equipment. IN 1986, using a ten percent inflation factor fac-tor and a five percent growth factor, the overall cost of the program will be $462,730, Sheriff Johnson said. The costs represent .80 mills, far less than the 1.5 mill limit proposed in the referendum. If the referendum passes, the county commission will have the power to determine deter-mine the mill levy on a year-to-year basis. Members of that board say they may want to hold another referendum periodically to determine the mill levy ceiling. ACCORDING to Sheriff Johnson, the existing paramedic budget includes $69,000 for vehicle expenses and allows for the replacement re-placement of trucks on a year-to-year basis. He said the average paramedic vehicle vehi-cle must be replaced every year. Most run 100,000 miles each year. Paramedic training, on the other hand, requires far less funding. In 1982 the total is $6,600, but Sheriff Johnson said that amoung will decrease as more and more officers are trained. ASKED JT he sees a need for increased manpower over the next five years, the sheriff was pessimistic. "I don't see any increase because you have two vehicles on the road 24 hours a day, seven dass a week," he said. Currently, there are 20 workers on the paramedic team. "We'll be training two or three every year to keep the compliment at 20-22 men," the sheriff said. HE SAID the team's response time is Continued on page 3 jvw- . Mo Tax Ineraasg... ued from page 2 n minutes and noted that most para-are para-are spending 10-15 percent of their 5m medical calls. " for growth, Sheriff Johnson said the jninay have t0 add anotner truck, but j be doesn't see that happeining in the "pSSlC service for 1982 will be Idled by the county through the general j7 f the referendum election fails, there ! Pffl quesu'on as to whether or not the j will continue. According to county officials, non-mandated non-mandated programs like the paramedics are eating away at the general fund and may have to be discontinued if funding problems prob-lems arise. SHERIFF Johnson estimates that-based that-based on inflation and growth the paramedic para-medic program will cost $406,199 in 1983. He emphasized that the program is one of the most "cost-effective" in the state and said a "yes" vote in the March 2 re ferendum "is not a vote to increase taxes |