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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 1 113 0ff- 1-14-'1 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. tj 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: 'N JE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk 91 ALBERT J. BO:, Mayor