Listen to this note:
All citizens registered to vote in the San Mateo County This March 5 they will have to choose between giving a yes or no to Measure B, which has to do with the adoption of a special tax for the county's service area that, if adopted, would raise up to 90 thousand dollars annually for police and fire protection.
And, on November 7, 2023, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to renew the collection of a special tax on property located in County Service Area No. 1 (“Service Area "), which, if approved, would raise up to approximately $90,000 annually for expanded police and fire protection services.
Pursuant to Section 50075, a ballot measure for approval of the excise tax must be submitted to the voters of the Service Area.
A special tax for police and fire protection services in the Service Area has been collected since 1982, and was most recently renewed by voters in 2020.
The Board of Supervisors determines the specific amount of the tax each year, with a maximum rate of $65 per year per parcel. The excise tax is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 2024.
If this Measure is approved by Service Area voters, the excise tax would continue to be collected for an additional four-year period, beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2028.
The Board of Supervisors would continue to set the specific amount of the excise tax each year, with a maximum rate of $65 per year per parcel, following a notified public hearing.
The collection of the special tax may only be used for the expansion of police and structural fire protection services in the fire service zone in the Service Area, and for no other purpose.
The tax collection must be paid into a special account and an annual report will be prepared describing the amounts collected and spent.
An affirmative vote on this Measure would allow the continuation of a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the Service Area for expanded fire and police protection services at a rate of no more than $65 per parcel per year for four additional years, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028.
A “no” vote on this Measure would not allow the excise tax to be collected, and the current tax would support expanded police and fire protection services in the Service Area through June 30, 2024.
It should be noted that this Measure is approved if two-thirds of voters vote “yes.”
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