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Mendocino, Sonoma County, CA April 10, 2012 Election
Measure C
Parcel tax increase
Coast Life Support District

2/3 Approval Required
Final Election Night Report

Pass: 675 / 75.7% Yes votes ...... 217 / 24.3% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Official Information | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the Coast Life Support District adopt an ordinance (1) authorizing imposition of a special tax not to exceed $44 per unit of benefit for emergency medical services and operating expenses of the District, which charges shall be established by the Board of Directors of the District; (2) raising the appropriations limit of the District to permit spending of the revenue raised by the tax; and (3) repealing the existing tax of $32.00 per unit of benefit?" Yes_____ No _____

Official Sources of Information

Impartial Analysis from Mendocino and Sonoma County Counsels
MEASURE SEEKING VOTER APPROVAL TO IMPOSE A SPECIAL TAX FOR AMBULANCE, LIFE SUPPORT AND TRANSPORT PURPOSES FOR THE COAST LIFE SUPPORT DISTRICT

The Coast Life Support District (hereinafter "District") has adopted Resolution No. 206 to replace the existing tax of $32.00 per unit of benefit and impose a special tax not to exceed $44.00 per unit of benefit. The stated purpose for the special tax is to address the increase in the cost of delivering quality ambulance and emergency medical response services.

The tax payable depends upon the actual land use of each parcel within the District. The units of special tax based upon land use are set forth in the resolution and proposed ordinance.

A two-thirds (2/3) vote is required for approval of the special tax. The revenue generated by the special tax is to be used only for the purpose of providing ambulance, life support, and transportation services.

A "Yes" vote will authorize the imposition of the special tax pursuant to the terms of Resolution No. 206 and proposed ordinance.

A "No" vote will disallow the imposition of the special tax.

Dated: January 17, 2012

s/Jeanine B. Nadel JANINE B. NADEL Mendocino County Counsel

s/Bruce D. Goldstein BRUCE D. GOLDSTEIN Sonoma County Counsel 23C2

  Official Information

Coast Life Support District website
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Arguments For Measure C
The Coast Life Support District (CLSD) ambulance provides an essential emergency life saving service to the residents and visitors to the Sonoma/Mendocino Coastal communities. With a highly professional and experienced staff of Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) CLSD provides 24-hour ground ambulance service to this community. Maintaining this service requires a small tax increase resulting in a maximum tax for a homeowner of $132/yr or thirty-seven cents/day. This is a small price to pay for a service that may save your life.

We urge you to vote YES on Measure C.

s/David Rice DAVID RICE Treasurer, Coast Life Support District

s/Tom Toedter TOM TOEDTER Director, Coast Life Support District

(No arguments against Measure C were submitted)

Full Text of Measure C
SECTION I. PURPOSE AND INTENT It is the purpose of this Ordinance to authorize the levy of a special tax on parcels of real property that are within the Coast Life Support District, established by Chapter 375, Statutes of 1986, in order to augment funding for furnishing, operating and maintaining emergency medical services, ambulance, life support, and transport equipment and services.

This is a special tax within the meaning of Section 4 of Article XII A of the California Constitution, and is being enacted pursuant to the authority and procedures of Chapter 375, Statutes of 1986 and Government Code Section 50077. This tax is based on the use or the right of use of each Assessor's parcel; and is based, to the extent practical, upon the costs of providing ambulance and life support and transportation services associated with each parcel, its use and the improvements thereon. Since this tax is not an ad valorem tax, the exemptions contained in or authorized by Article XIII of the California Constitution shall not apply.

The taxes imposed by this Ordinance may be collected by the Counties on behalf of the District in the same manner and subject to the same penalty as other charges and taxes fixed and collected by the Counties.

The revenues raised by this tax are to be used solely for the purposes of obtaining, furnishing, operating and maintaining emergency medical services, ambulance, life support and transport equipment or apparatus and services, and for other necessary operating expenses of the District, consistent with Section 40 of Chapter 375, Statutes of 1986. (Coast Life Support District Act.)

SECTION II. SPECIAL TAX The District's Board of Directors is authorized to levy a special tax within the boundaries of the Coast Life Support District each year, for the purposes stated in Section I, on each parcel of land shown on the respective County Assessor's parcel maps and carried on the County secured property tax rolls; provided, however, that such a special tax shall not be imposed upon a federal or state governmental agency or another local agency. This special tax shall be imposed in accordance with the following schedule.

The following are the special tax rates for the Coast Life Support District:

Actual Land Use / Units of Benefit

Undeveloped agricultural, timber, pasture, or waste land / 0

Vacant Buildable Lot, commercial or agricultural / 1

Single Family Dwelling / 3

Farm with residence or rural properties with multiple buildings / 4

Duplex / 6

Other Multi-family Dwellings including trailer parks / 8

Institutions, utilities, parks, schools, churches, hospitals and rest homes / 8

Service stations, stores, enterprises, commercial, industrial office buildings / 10

Hotels, motels, restaurants, golf courses, theaters / 20

SECTION III. SPECIAL TAX LIMIT The special tax authorized by this Ordinance shall not exceed $44 per unit of benefit per year.

SECTION IV. REPORT AND HEARING Each year prior to the imposition of said tax the District's Board of Directors shall cause a report to be prepared showing each parcel, the owner(s) thereof, and the proposed levy thereon. Upon the receipt of such report, the Board of Directors shall set a date for a hearing thereof and shall cause notice of such hearing to be posted at three (3) public places within the District, or, in lieu of posting, by mailing notice of hearing to each property owner at the address disclosed on the latest tax roll. At said hearing, the Board of Directors shall make such corrections to the taxes proposed to be levied as may be required to conform to the schedule as set forth above.

SECTION V. COLLECTION The tax shall be collected in the same manner and subject to the same penalty as other property taxes collected by the Counties.

SECTION VI. APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT The appropriations limit for the District shall be increased by the amount of the additional tax money raised by imposition of this tax, for the maximum period permitted by law (four years).

SECTION VII. REPEAL OF EXISTING SPECIAL TAX Upon the approval of this ordinance by two-thirds of the voters voting on this question, the existing special tax, limited to $32.00 per unit of benefit per year, shall be repealed. The appropriation limit for the District shall be increased by the amount of the additional tax money raised by imposition of this tax, for the maximum period permitted by law.

SECTION VIII. SEVERABILITY CLAUSE If any section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The Directors of the District hereby declare that they would have adopted the Ordinance and each section thereof despite the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, phrases or clauses be declared invalid.

SECTION IX. EFFECTIVE DATE This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its confirmation by two-thirds of the voters in the District voting in an election to be held on April 10, 2012.


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Created: May 30, 2012 09:46 PDT
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