February 13th, 2026 Local News
St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - Voters in St. Francois County will decide the future of local emergency medical services when the St. Francois County Ambulance Growth Proposition appears on the April 7, 2026 ballot.
The proposition centers on faster response times, more ambulances, and expanded advanced emergency care across the county.
Residents originally approved a half-cent sales tax for the ambulance district in 2005. Dustin Tate, EMS Educator and Paramedic with the St. Francois County Ambulance District, says nearly half of the district’s operations are funded through that sales tax revenue, but expenses have surged over the last two decades.
Tate says while sales tax revenue has increased 54 percent since 2005, from $3.5 million to $5.4 million, operating expenses have jumped 394 percent during that same time.
He notes the cost of equipment has risen sharply as well. Twenty years ago, a fully stocked ambulance cost around $120,000. Today, that price tag is more than $500,000. Fuel, technology, and other operational costs have also continued to climb.
In addition to 911 emergency calls, Tate says crews frequently handle patient transfers, including trips to specialty hospitals in St. Louis.
The district covers 455 square miles, with stations in Farmington, two in Park Hills, one in Bonne Terre, and one in Bismarck. In those communities, response times are typically between five and ten minutes. However, in rural areas, it can take up to 25 minutes to reach a patient.
Tate says the goal is to provide the best care possible to every resident, no matter where they live.
Currently, for every dollar spent in St. Francois County, a half-cent goes to the ambulance district. The Growth Proposition would increase that to a full cent.
Voters will decide the issue on April 7th.