Colma Fire Protection District; Measure H
This information is provided by the County Registrar

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF OR IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED LAWS ARE THE OPINIONS
OF THE AUTHORS

COLMA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

MEASURE H
"Shall Resolution number 97/98-1 of the Colma Fire Protection District levying
an annual special tax commencing fiscal year 1998-1999 and ending fiscal year
2013-2014, for the purposes of providing fire protection, fire prevention,
emergency response services and all other authorized District activities, in
accordance with the tax schedule, with exemptions for certain property exempted
by law and exemption for any owner of a parcel who is over the age of 65 for
any applicable year and who uses that parcel as a principal place of residence
be approved, and shall the appropriations limit of the District be raised each
year in the amount equal to the levy of said tax for said year?"

IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE H

The California Constitution and state law authorize a special district, upon
approval of two-thirds of the voting electorate, to levy a qualified special
tax for specified purposes.

The Colma Fire Protection District presently has a benefit assessment which
will expire on October 1, 1998. By this measure the Board of Fire Commissioners
of the Fire Protection District proposes to impose a special tax for the
specified purposes of fire protection, fire prevention, emergency responsive
services and any other authorized District activities. The special tax will be
levied per parcel at the rate reflected in the tax schedule set forth in the
measure and will commence July 1, 1998 and end June 30, 2014. A parcel shall be
defined as any unit of land in the District which now receives a separate tax
bill from the San Mateo County Assessor's Office. Any person 65 years of age or
older who owns and occupies a parcel may qualify for an exemption from the
special tax. All property which would otherwise be exempt from property taxes
will also be exempt from imposition of this special tax.

This measure would also increase the District's appropriations limit per fiscal
year, in an amount equal to the levy of the special tax for that year, as
permitted byArticle XIIIB, section 4 of the California Constitution. Any
increase of the appropriations limit after four years will require another
election and approval by the voters.

A "yes" vote on this measure would authorize the Colma Fire Protection District
to levy a special tax in accordance with the tax schedule commencing July 1,
1998 and ending June 30, 2014. It would also allow the appropriations
(spending) limit of the District to be raised each year for a period of four
years in an amount equal to the levy of the tax for that year.

A "no" vote on this measure would prevent the levy of the special tax and would
not allow the appropriations limit to be raised.

This measure passes if two-thirds of those voting on the measure vote "yes."


TAX SCHEDULE

Residential:
Single Family Residence:	$50.00
Duplex:	$75.00
Triplex:	$100.00
Fourplex:	$125.00
Condominium:	$50.00
Apartment Complex with 5 or more units:	$50.00 for the building and $25.00 for
each dwelling unit.

Unimproved Residential Property:	$25.00

Commercial:
$0.12 per square foot. Square footage shall be the amount of square footage as
determined by the Building Official in calculating the applicable "School
Impact Fee", as defined by Government Code sections 65955 et. seq. and 53080
et. seq. and their successor statutes, for said property.
Unimproved Commercial Property $25.00

 ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE H

Since the passage of the Jarvis-Gann tax initiative in 1978, the Colma Fire
Protection District (CFPD) was forced to initiate a supplemental property tax
to maintain the CFPD. By state law, this assessment can not continue without
the approval of the District voters. The time has come to ask the voters to
allow the Fire District to continue the supplemental property tax the
Commission has collected for the past 10 years. Historically, the tax has never
increased, and the District has been able to preserve an outstanding level of
service. In order to maintain this supplemental tax, and your Fire District, a
YES on Measure H is required by a two-thirds majority of registered District
voters.

Specifically, Measure H will:

*  Keep the average Fire District response time to three and one-half minutes
for every call.

*  Allow the Fire District to continue to provide fire, life and safety
services into the next century.

*  Allow the opportunity to explore the appointment of full time paid staff and
Fire Dept Paramedic services.

*  Maintain the District's commitment to community safety.

ALL of the funds raised by Measure H will go directly to the operation of the
CFPD, not to any other agency.

If Measure H fails it could mean the end of the CFPD (serving since 1925) and
incorporation into another fire agency - resulting in an increase in response
times to citizen calls, reduction in the number of fire personnel available to
our community, and a reduction in our community's public safety.

A YES vote on Measure H will do all these things at the reasonable cost of less
than $0.15 cents a day for property owners.

We the undersigned urge your re-authorization of this small assessment by
voting YES ON MEASURE H.

LINDA BIAGINI	8/21/97	Community Leader
STEVEN NORI	8/21/97	Chair, Colma Fire Commission/Broadmoor Property Owner
RAY BOUDEWYN	8/21/97	Colma Property Owner

NO ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE H SUBMITTED

Copyright © 1997 League of Women Voters of California, Smart Valley Inc.
The League of Women Voters never supports or opposes candidates or political parties.