League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Marin County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Measure J Paramedic Services Special Tax Lucas Valley County Service Area 13 2/3 Approval Required Fail: 548 / 64.17% Yes votes ...... 306 / 35.83% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure J

Arguments Against Measure J

County Service Area 13 (Upper Lucas Valley Area) paramedic tax is a dedicated local funding source for paramedic services. It has been reauthorized by voters three times in the last 12 years. Measure J is needed to maintain rapid emergency response times and to make our paramedics have the best equipment and best training to save lives in case of an accident like a car crash, or a medical emergency like heart attack or stroke. Funds from Measure J are kept in a separate fund and audited annually by the Board of Supervisors to ensure they are only used for local emergency medical services and equipment. These funds benefit local residents and cannot be taken away by the State. This measure will only cost households a maximum of an additional two dollars a month, 7 cents a day. Businesses will also pay their fair share. All the money paid for Measure J is tax deductible. Because of this assessment no resident served by a San Rafael Fire Paramedic will ever receive a bill for the emergency medical service provided. The Marinwood Fire Department responds to medical emergencies in our neighborhood followed by San Rafael paramedics. In an emergency every minute can be the difference between life and death. Every day our paramedics save lives that would be lost without the resources of Measure J. Measure J will help provide paramedics access to the most advanced lifesaving training and equipment, such as the mobile 12-lead heart monitor which aids in the treatment of heart attack patients while they are being transported to the emergency room. Please join your neighbors and community and civic leaders in support of Measure J. s/ROBERT P. GLASSON s/JUDITH LAYNE s/JOAN BOOSEY s/BOWDOIN PFEIFER s/RICHARD BRICKER

It is with a degree of sadness that I urge a no vote on Measure "J". This is a thinly veiled attempt to take over the Marinwood Fire Dept. If this measure passes San Rafael proposed to use Paramedic funds to finance this takeover of Marinwood Fire Dept. For over 40 years CSA #13 (upper Lucas Valley) has contracted with Marinwood for Fire Protection. During this time I have not heard one complaint about level of service or response time. The same can be said for the City of San Rafael Paramedic service. There is no reason for San Rafael to try and take over Marinwood other than its refusal to pay its fair share of costs for Marinwood to be first response to areas of North San Rafael. If this measure does not pass, San Rafael will get the message and another ballot measure without the possibility of take over can proceed and paramedic service can continue. s/RON MARINOFF

Full Text of Measure J

AN ORDINANCE OF THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THE SPECIAL TAX FOR PARAMEDIC SERVICES IN COUNTY SERVICE AREA 13 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF MARIN AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA 13 DOES HEREBY ORDAIN 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. In 2006, voters approved a special tax up to the amount of $85 per year for each dwelling unit and up to the amount of 11 cents per square foot for each non residential structure. SECTION II. Upon enactment of this ordinance and voter approval, as hereinafter provided, an increase in the special tax for the purposes outlined in Section I hereof in up to the amount of $23 for a total amount of $108.00 per year for each living unit, and up to the amount of $0.03 for a total of $0.14 per square foot for each non-residential structure shall become effective. SECTION III. 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 structure 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 IV. 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 V. 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 13 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 VI. 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 2, 2010. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of County Service Area 13, held on the 27th day of July, 2010, by the following vote: AYES: SUPERVISORS Susan L. Adams, Harold C. Brown, Jr., Charles McGlashan, Steve Kinsey, Judy Arnold NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE s/JUDY ARNOLD President, Board of Supervisors ATTEST: s/MATTHEW HYMEL Clerk