Voters in Montgomery County, Md., rejected a proposed ambulance fee Tuesday.
The measure failed 54 percent to 46 percent with all precincts reporting.
County leaders had threatened that if the measure failed, 89 fire and rescue workers would be laid off and 11 ambulances would be parked.
County Executive Ike Leggett said he does not plan to propose ambulance fees again in his second term. He won re-election Tuesday.
County leaders proposed charging a sliding fee between $300 and $800 to insurance companies.
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But Volunteer Fire Departments and other critics said the fee would raise insurance rates and could discourage people from calling 911 when they need it most.
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