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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1846 (Paramedic Tax Increase)AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL 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 twenty five (25) 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 2002 the voters of San Rafael approved an increase of the maximum Paramedic Tax rate to $61.00 for residential units and $.08 per square foot for non-residential structures; and 1 WHEREAS, the City Council, after reviewing the total current costs of the Paramedic Service Program and the total revenue generated by the current Paramedic Tax maximum rate, finds that the current Paramedic Tax rate fails to fully fund the Paramedic Service Program, thus requiring the diversion of a portion of the City's General Fund to subsidize the Program, which diversion of General Fund monies threatens the provision of other City services including park maintenance, road repair, police services and library services; and WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that the maximum Paramedic Special Tax rate needs to be increased so as to fully fund the City's Paramedic Service Program as was originally intended under the ordinance enacted by the voters of the City of San Rafael; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to ensure that the Paramedic Service Program is and remains completely and adequately funded by the paramedic tax revenues, so as to maintain rapid response times to medical emergencies, provide advanced treatment to heart attack patients and keep trained paramedics on fire engine companies; and, WHEREAS, the City Council desires to submit to the City's voters on November 7, 2006 an amendment to the Paramedic Tax ordinance which would authorize an increase of the maximum Paramedic Special Tax rate so as to fully fund the Paramedic Service Program; and WHEREAS, the City Council also desires to increase the City's appropriations limit for the next four (4) years in connection with revenue generated by the Paramedic Special Tax in accord with California Constitution Article =; 2 NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of San Rafael does ordain as follows: DIVISION 1: San Rafael Municipal Code section 3.28.040 is hereby deleted and a new section 3.28.040 is hereby added, to read as follows: Section 3.28.040 -- Special Tax Imposed - Non-residential. A special tax of up to a maximum of eleven cents ($.11) 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 deleted and a new 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 $85.00 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 XIHB 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 take effect if adopted by two-thirds (2/3rds) of the voters voting in the City of San Rafael Special Municipal Election to be held on the 7th day of November, 2006. ATTEST: Jl NNE M. LEON'61 I, City Clerk 2 A4;�, 4 a-`7 ALB19R.T J. BWO, Mayor /