1,657 / 68.8% Yes votes ...... 750 / 31.2% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Dated: August 21, 1998

PATRICK K. FAULKNER
County Counsel

Our County Service Area No. 19 contracts with the San Rafael City Fire Department to provide emergency medical response. In 1994, the City opened a second paramedic unit in Terra Linda, which has cut response time. Also, the Fire Department is planning to add a fourth ambulance crew, as of January 1999, when the need arises. In 1997, paramedics responded to 250 medical emergencies in our County Service Area No. 19 (compared to 205 in 1994).

Measure L does three things: (1) it authorizes continuation of the current assessment; (2) sets the maximum annual assessment per household at $53; (3) adds certain commercial properties to the tax roles, which had not been included previously. For the past four years the maximum tax was $45 per household (in 1997-98, the actual assessment was $40). The actual rate is set by the Board of Supervisors, determined by actual costs, in negotiations with the City. The cost of service is divided by number of households and commercial properties in the unincorporated area surrounding San Rafael.

Your "YES" vote will ensure we continue to receive the protection of the vital, life-saving service. If a resident of County Service Area No. 19 called a private ambulance for transportation to Marin General, the Basic Life Support charge is $322, plus supplies, and for Advanced Life Support transportation, the charge would be $649, plus supplies (August, 1998). Given these costs, we feel the paramedic services we receive are a real bargain.

We strongly urge you to vote "Yes" to maintain this critical service.

s/ Stuart Lum, President

Country Club Area Homeowners Association

s/ Nanni Wurl, President

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association

s/ Barbara Brownson, President

Los Ranchitos Improvement Association

s/ Ralph Merola, President

Northbridge Homeowners Association

s/ Neil J. Moran, President

Bret Harte Heights Homeowners Association

(No arguments against Measure L were submitted)

AN ORDINANCE OF THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 3200 INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THE SPECIAL TAX FOR PARAMEDIC SERVICES IN COUNTY SERVICE AREA 19

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF MARIN AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA 19 DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Ordinance No. 3200 is hereby amended to read as follows:

SECTION I. Authority, Purpose and Intent. This ordinance is adopted pursuant to Article 3.5 of Chapter 1, Part 1, Division 1, Title V (Sections 50075, et seq.) of the California Government Code, and it is the purpose and intent of this ordinance to impose a special tax on property within this Area for purposes of funding paramedic services.

SECTION II. Upon enactment of this ordinance as hereinafter provided, a special tax for the purposes outlined in Section I hereof in an amount not to exceed $53.00 per year for each living unit, and not to exceed seven (7) cents per square foot with a flat tax limit of $500.00 for each one (1) cent per square foot levied for each non-residential structure.

SECTION III. Tax Rate. The Board shall determine annually, based upon a budget recommended to it, whether the basic rate shall be revised to reflect changes in charges and costs. If the Board determines that the basic tax rate shall be revised to a rate lower than set forth in Section II hereof, it shall so revise said rate by resolution passed by a simple majority of the Board.

SECTION IV. Method of Collection. The special tax imposed by this ordinance for the purposes outlined in Section I is due from every person who owns a living unit or non-residential structures within this Area as reflected upon the rolls of the County Assessor at the same time ad valorem tax is due and is to be collected in the same manner. The Marin County Tax Collector shall collect the tax and any penalty or interest due hereunder. The full amount due under this ordinance shall constitute a debt to the Area.

An action for the collection of any tax due hereunder may be commenced in the name of the Area in any court having jurisdiction of the cause.

SECTION V. Delinquencies. To any amount of the tax created by this ordinance which becomes delinquent, the Marin County Tax Collector shall add a penalty in an amount equal to any penalties owing for delinquencies in the ad valorem property tax. The tax and penalty shall bear interest at the same rate as the rate for unpaid ad valorem property tax until paid.

SECTION VI. Severance Clause. If any section of this ordinance is held invalid or unenforceable by any court and such judgment becomes final, then that section may be amended by a majority vote of this Board to conform with the judgment of such court, provided such amendment is consistent with the purpose and intent of this ordinance.

If any section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The people of County Service Area 19 hereby declare that they would have adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, phrases or clauses may be declared invalid.

SECTION VII. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective not later than thirty (30) days after its adoption by the Board of Supervisors, but shall not take effect unless and until it is approved by two-thirds of the voters voting upon this ordinance at an election to be held on November 3, 1998.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of County Service Area 19 held on this 28th day of July, 1998 by the following vote:

AYES: SUPERVISORS Harry J. Moore, Harold C. Brown, Jr., Annette Rose, John B. Kress, President
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: SUPERVISOR Steve Kinsey

s/ John B. Kress
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

ATTEST:

s/ Martin Nichols
CLERK