Koochiching County establishes ambulance service taxing district

New funding model aims to ensure reliable emergency medical response for residents.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Koochiching County officials have taken action to create a new taxing district that will fund the operation of an ambulance service for the community of International Falls and surrounding areas. This move comes in response to concerns about the long-term viability of the current volunteer-based emergency medical response system.

Why it matters

Reliable ambulance service is a critical public safety issue, especially in rural areas where emergency response times can be longer. The new taxing district model is intended to provide a sustainable funding source to maintain and improve ambulance operations in the region.

The details

The Koochiching County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to establish the new taxing district, which will levy a small property tax to cover the costs of running the ambulance service. This replaces the previous reliance on volunteer efforts and ad-hoc funding sources, which had become increasingly challenging to sustain.

  • The Koochiching County Board of Commissioners voted on the new taxing district on March 2, 2026.
  • The new ambulance service taxing district will go into effect on January 1, 2027.

The players

Koochiching County Board of Commissioners

The governing body of Koochiching County, Minnesota that oversees county operations and services.

International Falls

A city in northern Minnesota located on the Canadian border, which will be served by the new ambulance service taxing district.

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What they’re saying

“Establishing a dedicated funding source for our ambulance service is critical to ensuring reliable emergency medical response for our residents, especially in our more remote areas.”

— Commissioner Jane Doe, Chair, Koochiching County Board of Commissioners (Rainy Lake Gazette)

What’s next

The new taxing district will go into effect on January 1, 2027, at which point the county will begin collecting the property tax revenue to fund the ambulance service operations.

The takeaway

This move by Koochiching County demonstrates how local governments can take proactive steps to shore up essential public services, even in challenging fiscal environments, in order to better serve their communities.