10/21/2026
As our community grows, doesnโt the Ambulance District receive more tax revenue?
Yes, growth can increase revenue, but not necessarily at the same rate that it increases demand for emergency services.
Hereโs why:
๐ Residential growth: New homes add to the property-tax base, but UADโs property-tax levy is very small. For 2027, the levy is $0.0115 per $100 of assessed valuation. The UAD portion of the property-tax bill on a $200,000 home is only about $4.37 per year.
๐ Sales-tax growth: Adding residents does not automatically add the same percentage of sales-tax revenue. Sales tax is generated by taxable purchases made within the District. A new subdivision may add hundreds of residents and additional 911 calls, but if those residents shop, dine, or make major purchases outside the District, those purchases do not generate sales-tax revenue for UAD.
Meanwhile, UADโs call volume increased from 2,770 calls in 2015 to 4,682 in 2025, approximately 69%.
When voters approved UADโs current ยฝ-cent sales tax in 2016, Missouri law required a rollback of the Districtโs property-tax levy. If the additional ยฝ-cent passes, another rollback would be required. Because our property-tax levy is already extremely low, it could potentially be reduced to zero. The exact levy would depend on the required annual calculation.
Emergency services arenโt built just for today. Theyโre built for what comes next.
Growth can bring additional revenue, but it also brings additional people, traffic, development, and demand for emergency services. Planning ahead means making sure our resources can keep pace with that demand.