Town Of Corte Madera Special Ems Parcel Tax Renewal, Measure I (November 2014)

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A Town of Corte Madera Special EMS Parcel Tax Renewal, Measure I ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the town of Corte Madera in Marin County, California. It was approved.

Upon approval, Measure I authorized the town to continue a parcel tax of $75 per parcel unit for four years in order to fund paramedic and emergency medical services. One parcel was defined as one residential unit or 1,000 square feet of enclosed floor space for nonresidential buildings. Thus, a one-family home paid $75 per year and a 10,000 square-foot business paid $750 per year according to Measure I.^[1]

This was a special tax, which meant the revenue was restricted to the uses specified by the measure - namely emergency medical services.^[1]

A two-thirds (66.67 percent) supermajority vote was required for the approval of Measure I.

Election results[edit]

Marin County Measure I
Result	Votes	Percentage
a Yes	2,551	74.88%
No	856	25.12%

Election results via: Marin County Elections Office

Text of measure[edit]

Ballot question[edit]

The question on the ballot appeared as:^[1]

“

In order to continue existing emergency services in the Town of Corte Madera, shall there be a continuation of the special tax for paramedic and/or emergency medical services for four more years at the annual amount of $75.00 per residence and per 1,000 square feet of floor area for nonresidential uses for fiscal years 2015-2016 through 2018-2019, with the appropriations limit increasing by the amount of said tax?^[2]

”

Impartial analysis[edit]

The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure I:^[1]

“

If this measure is approved by the requisite two-thirds vote, an ordinance shall be adopted in the Town of Corte Madera imposing a special tax for paramedic and/or emergency medical services (EMS). This is not the first time an EMS tax has been submitted to and approved by the Town’s voters. A special EMS tax was first approved by the Town’s voters on June 7, 1983, and was last approved by the Town’s voters on November 8, 2011. Since that tax will expire on June 30, 2015, voter approval of this measure is required in order to continue the provision of EMS services at existing levels.

If approved, this measure will impose a yearly tax for EMS services for the four fiscal years beginning July 1, 2015, and ending on June 30, 2019. A “fiscal year” runs from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next year.

If approved, the tax amount per fiscal year will remain at the rate of $75.00 for each residential unit and $75.00 per 1,000 square feet of enclosed floor area for nonresidential uses throughout the entire period that the tax is in effect.

In the current fiscal year (2014-2015), the yearly tax rate is also $75.00 for each residential unit and $75.00 for each 1,000 square feet of enclosed floor area for nonresidential uses.

The measure provides that the tax proceeds must be placed in a special fund which may only be used for the provision of EMS services. The tax amount specified above may not be increased without the approval of two thirds of the Town voters. The measure also provides that the EMS tax will be collected by the Marin County Tax Collector along with the property tax. As stated above, the tax will automatically terminate on June 30, 2019. This measure was placed on the ballot by the Town Council of the Town of Corte Madera.^[2]

”

—Jeffrey A. Walter, Corte Madera Town Attorney^[1]