Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Measure K topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Albany considers shifting EMS parcel tax to building square footage, weighs raising revenue to replace Golden Gate Fields tax base
Summary
Faced with a likely loss of roughly $400,000 a year when Golden Gate Fields transfers to public ownership, the council asked staff to refine models that would base Measure K on building square footage and to test revenue targets between $2 million and $3 million, while addressing equity concerns for condos and undeveloped parcels.
Albany staff presented modeling on May 18 for a potential revision to Measure K, the city's emergency medical services (EMS) parcel tax, proposing a methodological shift from lot square footage to building square footage to stabilize revenue and better reflect where EMS services are used.
Finance Director Rainer Schwartz said the impending transfer of Golden Gate Fields to public ownership will likely remove about $400,000 — roughly 19% — from the parcel‑tax base because publicly owned parcels are tax‑exempt. "That was the impetus for us to look at changing the methodology and the revenue target," Schwartz said. NBS consultant Amanda Welker modeled a $3 million target that would require about 32¢ per building square foot; she noted a $2 million target would reduce the per‑square‑foot rate by about one‑third.
Councilors raised distributional concerns: moving to a building‑sqft basis would modestly reduce the average charge for single‑family homes but could substantially increase bills for condominiums and some multifamily owners because the building's vertical square footage would be assigned per unit. Several members asked staff to explore a minimum charge for large undeveloped parcels or a small per‑parcel floor to reflect potential EMS call demand on vacant land.
On equity and affordability, councilors favored keeping the existing "very low" income exemption or applying the sidewalk‑tax approach (a smaller, administratively efficient rebate) rather than expanding to a broader low‑income exemption that could substantially increase the rebate pool and administrative burden.
Next steps: staff will return with alternative rate scenarios (including a blended approach that keeps a minimum charge for undeveloped parcels, a rebalanced condominium/multifamily tier, and revenue targets between $2 million and $3 million) and draft ballot language if council elects to move a measure toward the November 2026 election.
