HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1747 (Paramedic Tax Increase)ORDINANCE NO. 1747
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SAN RAFAEL AMENDING SECTION 3.28.060(a) OF,
DELETING AND AMENDING SECTION 3.28.040 OF, AND
ADDING SECTION 3.28.050 TO, CHAPTER 3.28 OF THE
SAN RAFAEL MUNICIPAL CODE, TO INCREASE THE
SPECIAL PARAMEDIC TAX ON RESIDENTIAL AND
NON-RESIDENTIAL CLASSED STRUCTURES, IN ORDER
TO COVER THE COST OF PARAMEDIC SERVICE, AND
TO INCREASE THE CITY'S APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael in 1979 and in 1988, adopted a
"fully funded" paramedic service tax (Chapter 3.28 of the San Rafael Municipal Code) to be
imposed annually upon all residential and non-residential properties within the City of San
Rafael for the purpose of providing the full cost of the City of San Rafael's paramedic program;
and
WHEREAS, under the Paramedic Tax Ordinance, the City Council had the authority to
revise the amount of this tax every year to ensure that the complete cost of the City's paramedic
service program was covered by the special paramedic tax revenue; and
WHEREAS, the passage of Proposition 218 by the voters of the State of California in
November of 1996 and the subsequent approval of SB919 by the State Legislature, has
eliminated the ability of the City Council to adjust the amount of the special paramedic tax
without the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the City's electors voting in an election; and
WHEREAS, the City Council, after reviewing the proposed budget recommendation of
the City Manager, finds that the paramedic tax rate needs to be increased so as to fully fund the
City's paramedic service program; that the current tax rate is insufficient to cover the costs and
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charges of providing paramedic service, and that the general fund moneys are currently
subsidizing the City's paramedic service program in ever increasing amounts; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to submit to the City's qualified electors on
November 2, 1999 an Ordinance increasing the paramedic service special tax so as to fully fund
the paramedic service program and to correspondingly increase the City's appropriations limit
for the next three (3) years.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of San Rafael does ordain as follows:
DIVISION 1:
San Rafael Municipal Code section 3.28.040 is hereby deleted and a new section 3.28.040
is hereby added, to read as follows:
Section 3.28.040 -- Special Tax Imposed - Non-residential.
A special tax of up to seven (7) cents per square foot is imposed
upon all non-residential classed structures within the corporate
limits of the City of San Rafael, on an annual basis, to fund a
paramedic service program.
DIVISION 2:
San Rafael Municipal Code section 3.28.050 is hereby added to read as follows:
Section 3.28.050 -- Special Tax Imposed - Residential.
A special tax of up to a maximum of $53.00 per living unit, is
imposed upon all residential classed structures within the corporate
limits of the City of San Rafael, on an annual basis, to fund a
paramedic service program.
DIVISION 3:
San Rafael Municipal Code subsection 3.28.060(a) is hereby amended to add the
following language to the end of the subsection:
"In its annual determination of the paramedic tax rate, the City
Council shall endeavor to maintain parity between the tax rate for
residential classed structures and non-residential classed structures.
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The City Council shall not set the tax rate in excess of the
maximum rates allowed in sections 3.28.040 and 3.28.050 without
prior approval of the electorate."
DIVISION 4:
The appropriations limit of the City of San Rafael shall be increased for a period of three (3)
years by the total amount collected by the Paramedic Service Special Tax (Chapter 3.28, San Rafael
Municipal Code) as required by Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
DIVISION 5:
This Ordinance was adopted by the voters of the City of San Rafael at the General
Municipal Election held on the 2nd day of November, 1999.
ATTEST:
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JE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk
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ALBERT J. BO:, Mayor