Commissioners propose 1-cent sales tax to fund EMS and seek to lower property taxes

Atchison County commissioners on the county’s public statement proposed a dedicated 1-cent county sales tax to fund emergency medical services and rescue operations for 10 years, saying the change would reduce pressure on property taxes and spread the cost to nonresident shoppers.

The commission framed the proposal as a way to preserve and stabilize local emergency medical services. "By voting yes for the 1-cent sales tax, you are ensuring that EMS and rescue is funded by everyone who shops in Atchison County," Commissioner (S1) said.

Commissioner (S1) said the county trimmed the proposed 2025 budget by more than $2.2 million and is seeking alternative revenue sources to avoid raising property taxes. The commission pointed to a provision of Kansas statute allowing counties to propose local sales taxes to fund emergency medical services, saying the proposed levy would run for 10 years if approved.

The commissioners cited a market analysis attributed to the Atchison Chamber of Commerce that, they said, estimated roughly 3.1 million nonresident visitors to the county in 2025 and argued those visitors also use county emergency services. That figure was presented as part of the rationale that a sales tax would distribute the cost of EMS to shoppers as well as to residents; the count and the analysis are reported as the commission’s claim and were not independently verified in the statement.

Commissioner (S2) emphasized the need for reliable emergency medical services for residents, framing the proposal as a public-safety investment. The commission said the ballot question will appear on the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot and directed residents to the county website for more information; the transcript’s web address was garbled and not specified.

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the available transcript excerpts. The commission’s statement did not provide detailed cost estimates, projected revenue totals, or an implementation timeline beyond the proposed 10-year duration; those figures were not specified in the record.