League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Sonoma County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure O Improve Fire and Emergency Protection Services Gold Ridge Fire Protection District 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 6,773 / 76.0% Yes votes ...... 2,139 / 24.0% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure O

Protect Gold Ridge! It will only cost all property owners 12.3 cents per day to provide better fire and emergency protection services from each of your Twin Hills, Hessel and Freestone fire stations. This parcel tax will support three fire stations, 60 volunteers, four full-time and six part-time personnel and 15 pieces of firefighting equipment. The Gold Ridge firefighters responded to over 850 calls (500 of them were medical emergencies) last year and the number grows each year. As our community's demand for emergency services steadily increases, it puts a greater strain on our dedicated volunteer and part-time firefighters. There are days throughout the year when volunteer engineers are not available and stations are not staffed. The number of volunteer firefighters has been reduced from 120 in 1987 to 60 today because of the costs associated with training volunteer firefighters and their insurance coverage. But that's not all; the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District's current parcel tax has not been increased since it was passed by the voters in 1987 or by the merger in 1993. The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District covers 75 square miles. It is an area 15 times larger than the City of Sebastopol and 50% larger than Santa Rosa. Your approval of Measure O is needed so Gold Ridge Fire Protection District will be able to continue to respond immediately to fight fires, provide emergency medical care, and protect property; maintain our fire protection rating and keep your insurance premiums low; support volunteers and firefighter-engineers to staff two of our three fire stations 24/7; and replace old fire engines as needed. There is no hidden cost of living language that will increase the tax without another vote of the people. It will only cost all property owners 12.3 cents per day to provide better fire and emergency protection services. Protect Gold Ridge! Vote Yes on Measure O! s/ Gary S. Petersen, Member, Gold Ridge Fire District Board s/ Gunnar Dean, President, Twin Hills Fire Fighters Assn. s/ Barbara L. Doyle, Chair, Protect Gold Ridge PAC s/ John Connelly, President, Hessel Fire Fighters Assn. s/ Andy Pforsich, Chief, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District (No arguments against Measure O were submitted)

Full Text of Measure O

Appendix "A," Ordinance No. 08-09-1-R An ordinance of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District authorizing the district to impose and levy a new special $45.00 parcel tax on all improved parcels of real property to assist the district in meeting the costs of providing authorized services and exercising other rights and powers of the district. The people of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District ordain as follows: Section I. Definitions For the purposes of this ordinance, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section unless the context clearly requires a different meaning. The definition of a word or phrase applies to any of that word's or phrases variants. "Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. "District" means the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District in Sonoma County, California. "New special tax" means the special tax authorized by and imposed pursuant to this ordinance. The new special tax is a special tax within the meaning of article XIII, section 4 and article XIII C, section 1 of the California Constitution. "Parcel of real property" means a separate parcel of real property having a separate Assessor's parcel number as shown on the secured tax rolls of the County of Sonoma, or an assessment of a structural property on the unsecured tax rolls of the County of Sonoma, or an assessment made by the State Board of Equalization. "Improved Parcel" means a parcel of real property with a permanent building or portion thereof, including manufactured and mobile homes designated or used exclusively as a residence or business. Improved parcel does not include a tent, travel trailer, recreational vehicle, or similar vehicle or structure. Section II. Authority This ordinance is adopted pursuant to article XIII A, section 4, article XIII B, section 4, and article XIII C, section 2 of the California Constitution, Government Code sections 50075 et seq. and 53720 et seq., and Health and Safety Code section 13911. Section III. Determination of Necessity The amount of revenue available to the District from property taxes and the existing special tax is inadequate to meet the cost of providing services pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13862. Therefore, the District must establish a larger stable source of supplementary revenue to assist in meeting the costs of providing such service and exercising other rights and powers of the District. Section IV. Purpose of New Special Tax The purpose for which the new special tax shall be imposed and levied is to raise revenue for the District to use in meeting the costs of (i) providing services pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13862, and (ii) exercising other rights and powers granted to the District pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 13860 et seq. Section V. Special Tax Authorization and Limit The Board of Directors is authorized to impose and levy the new special tax each year on each parcel of real property within the District, except parcels of real property owned by a federal, state, or local agency, based on the use or right of use of the parcel. The proceeds of the new special tax shall be used only for the purpose stated in section IV of this ordinance. Section VI. Collection The new special tax shall be collected in the same manner and subject to the same penalty as other charges and taxes collected by or on behalf of the District by the County of Sonoma. The proceeds of the new special tax shall be deposited into a fund held by the Sonoma County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The Sonoma County Treasurer-Tax Collector may deduct reasonable administrative costs incurred in collecting the new special tax and deposit the amounts deducted in the Sonoma County General Fund. Section VII. Severability Clause If any section, subsection, sentence clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional and invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The people of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District hereby declare that they would have passed this ordinance and every section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared unconstitutional or invalid. Section VIII. Effective Date This ordinance shall take effect the day following its approval by two-thirds of the District's qualified voters voting for or against the same at the general election on November 04, 2008. APPROVED, by a two-thirds vote of the voters of the District at the general election held on November 04, 2008, and SO ORDERED. Chairman, Board of Directors, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District ATTEST: Clerk of the Board of Directors