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EMS as an essential service: Why it’s important for Fort Dodge

Local Columns

One critical component of ensuring the safety and well-being of Fort Dodge citizens is emergency medical services (EMS), which, despite its integral role in public safety, is not currently classified as an essential service. This leaves the community vulnerable and exposes local businesses to potential risks in the event of an emergency. Fort Dodge Fire Rescue, which provides EMS alongside fire services, is asking local businesses and residents to vote to make EMS an essential service in the upcoming referendum on March 4. In 2024, Fort Dodge Fire Rescue responded to 5,324 total ...

Understanding Fort Dodge’s budget and the complex financial history of small Iowa cities

Local Columns

Fort Dodge, Iowa, like many small cities across the state, faces the intricate task of balancing its budget while addressing the diverse needs of its residents. The city’s budget reflects a commitment to maintaining essential services such as public safety, infrastructure, and community programs, while simultaneously navigating the challenges of limited revenue sources and evolving economic conditions. Fort Dodge’s budget at a glance Fort Dodge’s municipal budget, shaped by property taxes, state aid, and local fees, supports a variety of critical operations. Key ...

Iowa House proposes more aid for public schools

Local Columns

We are four weeks from the first legislative funnel. Bills that originated in the House must pass a House full committee for them to be considered on the floor. This excludes appropriation and tax bills. State Supplemental Aid for Schools SSA funding for our public schools is one of the first topics we have to tackle each legislative session. We are getting closer to the 30-day deadline we give ourselves to have an SSA number settled so that school districts have time to plan their budgets for the following year. The Senate and the governor have both proposed a 2 percent increase ...

Iowa government reorganization is working

Local Columns

In 2023, the Iowa legislature passed a massive government reorganization bill with the goal of making government more efficient, aligning similar departments and eliminating redundancies. While it was estimated to save a decent amount of money over the next several years, the governor announced in her Condition of the State speech this year that it had already saved Iowa taxpayers $217 million over 18 months. A report released this week by Common Sense Institute says that government reorganization policy helped us accelerate the income tax cuts Republicans had passed and helped Iowa ...

Partnerships made Iowa Central Fuel Testing Lab possible

Editorial

The Iowa Central Fuel Testing Laboratory is a place few people will visit, but its presence is a benefit to everyone in the state. Drivers will be assured that the ethanol they pump into their cars and light trucks is good quality fuel, thanks to the work of the lab. Truckers across the state will know that the biodiesel they fill their rigs with will not gum up the engine, thanks to testing conducted at the new facility in Fort Dodge. The Fort Dodge community is lucky to have the lab in its midst. Such a facility could have been built in pretty much any Midwestern state that, like ...

Have a safe Super Bowl Sunday

Editorial

There is one more professional football game to be played in the 2024-2025 season. There are few Americans who have not heard of this particular contest called the Super Bowl. The sporting event that will take place Sunday evening has essentially no equal. Sure, there are the Olympics, the World Series, the Stanley Cup finals and the NBA championships. The excitement of those events are all spread over a number of days. Sunday’s Super Bowl, however, will pack all the excitement into a few intense hours. The upcoming clash of the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC ...