HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1891 (Paramedic Tax)ORDINANCE NO. 1891
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
AMENDING SECTIONS 3.28.040 AND 3.28.050 OF CHAPTER
3.28 OF THE SAN RAFAEL MUNICIPAL CODE, TO
INCREASE THE MAXIMUM SPECIAL PARAMEDIC TAX
RATE ON RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND ON NON-
RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES AND TO INCREASE THE
CITY'S APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael in 1979 adopted an ordinance
imposing a special tax to "fully fund" a city-wide Paramedic Service Program (Chapter 3.28 of
the San Rafael Municipal Code); and
WHEREAS, for more than thirty (30) years, the City Council has imposed this tax
annually upon all residential units and upon all non-residential structures within the City of San
Rafael for the intended purpose of funding complete and total costs associated with the
provision of a citywide Paramedic Service Program; and
WHEREAS, prior to the passage of Proposition 218 in 1996, the City Council each year
adjusted the Paramedic Special Tax rate to fund total costs of the City's Paramedic Service
Program; and,
WHEREAS, the passage of Proposition 218, eliminated the authority of the City Council
to adjust the maximum rate of the Paramedic Special Tax without first obtaining the approval of
two-thirds (2/3rds) of the voters at a municipal election; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 the voters of San Rafael approved an increase of the maximum
Paramedic Tax rate to $85.00 annually for residential units and $.11 per square foot annually for
non-residential structures; and
WHEREAS, the City Council, after reviewing the total current and projected costs of the
Paramedic Service Program, revenues provided by Ambulance Transporting, and the total
revenue generated by the current Paramedic Tax maximum rate, has found that the current
Paramedic Tax rate fails to fully fund the Paramedic Service Program, thus requiring the
diversion of a portion of the City's General Fund to subsidize the Program, which diversion of
General Fund monies threatens the provision of other City services including park maintenance,
road repair, and police services and fire services; and
WHEREAS, the maximum Paramedic Special Tax rate needs to be increased so as to
fully fund the City's Paramedic Service Program as was originally intended under the ordinance
enacted by the voters of the City of San Rafael; and
WHEREAS, it is crucial to ensure that the Paramedic Service Program remains
completely and adequately funded by a combination of Ambulance Transportation billing and the
paramedic tax revenues, so as to maintain rapid response times to medical emergencies, provide
advanced treatment to heart attack patients and keep trained paramedics on fire engine
companies; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council has submitted to the City's voters on November 2, 2010
this measure to amend the Paramedic Tax ordinance to authorize an increase of the maximum
Paramedic Special Tax rate so as to fully fund the Paramedic Service Program; and
WHEREAS, this measure would also increase the City's appropriations limit for the next
four (4) years in connection with revenue generated by the Paramedic Special Tax in accord with
California Constitution Article XIIIB;
NOW THEREFORE, the People of the City of San Rafael do ordain as follows:
DIVISION 1:
San Rafael Municipal Code section 3.28.040 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Section 3.28.040 -- Special Tax Imposed - Non-residential.
A special tax of up to a maximum of fourteen cents ($.14) per
square foot is imposed upon all non-residential 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 amended to read as follows:
Section 3.28.050 -- Special Tax Imposed - Residential.
A special tax of up to a maximum of $108 per residential unit is
imposed upon all residential units within the corporate limits of the
City of San Rafael, on an annual basis, to fund a Paramedic Service
Program.
DIVISION 3:
As required by Article XIIIB of the California Constitution, the appropriations limit of the
City of San Rafael shall be increased each year, for a period of four (4) years, by the total amount
collected each year under the Paramedic Service Special Tax (Chapter 3.28, San Rafael Municipal
Code).
DIVISION 4:
This Ordinance shall be effective ten days after the date on which the City Council has
declared its approval by at least two-thirds of the City's electors voting at the special municipal
election to be held on the 2nd day of November, 2010.
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ATTEST:
ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk