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Council backs RVPA governance rewrite and places paramedic tax measure on November ballot
Summary
After a presentation by Central Marin Fire leadership, the council approved amendments to the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority JPA to modernize governance and agreed to place a multi‑jurisdictional parcel tax (phased increase) on the Nov. 3 ballot; the measure requires a two‑thirds voter threshold.
The Larkspur City Council on Wednesday approved amendments to the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority (RVPA) joint powers agreement and authorized placing a renewed RVPA parcel tax on the November ballot.
Central Marin Fire Chief Ruben Martin explained the rewritten JPA, which updates governance, clarifies voting thresholds for budget changes, centralizes procurement and billing, and aims to equalize tax rates among member jurisdictions over a four‑year phase. Martin said the rewrite addresses gaps in the 1980s-era agreement and is intended to lock in consistent standards and fiscal protections for member agencies.
"After 40 years, we went from a page and a half ... to about a 13‑ or 14‑page document that's actually very substantive," Martin told the council, summarizing changes that include a two‑thirds vote threshold for expenditures above three percent of the approved budget and a 24‑month notice requirement for any member agency that elects to leave the JPA.
The council then voted to put a four‑year, phased parcel tax renewal on the Nov. 3 ballot. Chief Martin said the authority proposes an initial $4 annual increase to start in 2027, with incremental increases that would sum to $16 over four years; he told the council that the measure is intended to secure operational funding for paramedic services and noted it requires a two‑thirds voter approval.
Mayor Andre and council members thanked staff and the RVPA for the collaborative process. The council’s vote followed staff confirmation that each of the eight member agencies must place the same measure on their November ballots so the tax is uniform across the Ross Valley service area.
What’s next: If the measure is placed on the ballot, RVPA partners will coordinate election language and outreach; the tax will take effect only if voters approve it by the supermajority required for a parcel tax.
