By Callie Rhoades
The Marin Independent Journal
CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Corte Madera is asking voters to raise its annual paramedic tax by up to $7.75 over the next four years.
The Town Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to place the parcel tax measure on the ballot in the November general election. The council also approved a revised agreement with the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority. Councilmember James Andrews voted against both the ballot measure and the revised agreement.
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The action is intended to catch the town up on its contributions to the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, which also covers Larkspur, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo and unincorporated areas such as Kentfield, Greenbrae and Sleepy Hollow.
The board has a representative from each jurisdiction. Paramedic services are funded through local parcel taxes and ambulance revenue. The agency had revenues of about $5.5 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
In 2024, the authority worked with a consultant, Citygate Associates LLC, to analyze its fiscal and operational efficiency. Following the firm’s report, the paramedic authority board voted to revise its member agreement and centralize its operations. It also asked its member jurisdictions to propose a parcel tax renewal measure on the November ballot.
All the participating agencies except Corte Madera have a matching tax structure in place. Corte Madera, as a subcontractor to the agency through the Central Marin Fire Authority, sets its own tax rate and has historically transferred its tax revenue to the fire agency for paramedic services.
“The town of Corte Madera constituents pay approximately about $22 to $24 less annually per household or per 1,000 square feet of commercial property for paramedic services,” Central Marin Fire Chief Ruben Martin said at the Corte Madera Town Council meeting on May 19.
Martin said when he joined the fire agency in 2022, he noticed the discrepancy in Corte Madera’s contribution with surrounding agencies. He said it likely stemmed from a clerical error in years past that resulted in two tax cycles in which the tax was not increased.
The Citygate report found that the town also did not adequately track its paramedic authority finances, making it difficult to accurately assess its financial status within the joint powers agreement.
“The absence of enterprise accounting for the paramedic program within CMFA/ Town of Corte Madera leads to difficulties in estimating the exact impact of the separation on expenditures for CMFA,” the report said.
Each jurisdiction’s contribution depends on its size and number of taxable parcels. Martin said this system roughly works out so the number of calls for service from a given area is proportional to its financial contribution. However, he said Corte Madera needs to increase its tax rate to ensure it pays its “fair share.”
Corte Madera residents are paying about $87 per parcel this year, compared to about $103 in every other jurisdiction. The Ross Valley Paramedic Authority is asking all members except Corte Madera to place a measure on the ballot that would raise the tax by $3.50 each year, hitting about $118 by fiscal year 2030-31.
For Corte Madera, the tax would increase by $7.50 for the first year and $7.75 yearly thereafter, bringing the town in line with the other agencies by fiscal year 2030-31.
All member jurisdictions have to approve both the new agreement and the tax measure for them to be adopted. If the tax measure is adopted, but one or more jurisdictions cannot pass the measures in November, those agencies would be required to place the measure on the next ballot. If it fails again, the association will assess the next steps.
Andrews did not respond to a request for comment on his vote.
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