1696 / 75.1% Yes votes ...... 563 / 24.9% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Dated: August 22, 2002

PATRICK K. FAULKNER
County Counsel

Our County Service Area No. 19 contracts with the San Rafael City Fire Department to provide us in the unincorporated area with emergency medical response.

Measure M does two things: (1) it increases the maximum annual assessment, per household, from the current $53 to $61, and (2) increases the maximum tax, per square foot of non-residential property, from the current $.07 to $.08 per square foot.

For the past four years, the maximum rate, per household, was $53 and the actual assessment in 2002-03 being $52. The actual rate is set by the Board of Supervisors annually, determined by actual costs, in negotiation with the City. The cost of service is determined by the number of households and commercial properties in the unincorporated area surrounding San Rafael.

We urge your "YES" vote to insure we continue to receive this vital, life-saving service. If a resident of C.S.A. 19 called a private ambulance company for transportation to Marin General Hospital, the Basic Life Support charge would be $595, plus supplies and mileage charges. Considering these costs, we feel the life-saving service we receive from Measure M, are a real bargain.

WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VOTE "YES" TO MAINTAIN THIS CRITICAL SERVICE.

s/ John Chiapellone, Vice President
Northbridge Homeowners Association

s/ Nanni Wurl
Paramedic & SVNA Board Member

s/ Marie Jean Zerrudo
President, SVNA

(No arguments against Measure M were submitted)

AN ORDINANCE OF THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 3281 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. 3281 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 $61.00 per year for each living unit, and not to exceed 8 ($0.08) cents per square foot 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 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 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 5, 2002.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of County Service Area 19, held on the 30th day of July, 2002, by the following vote:

AYES: SUPERVISORS John B. Kress, Steve Kinsey, Annette Rose, Cynthia L. Murray

NOES: NONE

ABSENT: SUPERVISOR Harold C. Brown, Jr.

s/ CYNTHIA L. MURRAY
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

ATTEST:

s/ MARK J. RIESENFELD
Clerk