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Council adopts amended RVPA joint‑powers agreement; parcel‑tax ballot language continued to July
Summary
Council approved an amended and restated Ross Valley Paramedic Authority joint powers agreement (JPA) to centralize finances and operations, then continued consideration of the RVPA parcel‑tax ballot language to July 9 so staff and legal counsel can refine wording with RVPA and county elections officials.
The Rosstown Council unanimously approved an amended and restated joint‑powers agreement for the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority (RVPA) on June 11, updating governance and finance language and adding two‑thirds voting thresholds for certain actions.
Chief Dan Mahoney outlined the changes, which centralize finances and operations, change the executive‑officer appointment to a board appointment, and describe a mechanism to equalize parcel‑tax rates across member agencies over several years. “The amended agreement is compliant with the JPA Act and implements board direction to centralize operations and financial processes,” Chief Mahoney said.
After approving the JPA (resolution 2635, vote 5–0), the council considered calling a November 3, 2026 election for a four‑year parcel tax renewal to fund RVPA through 2031. Members raised concerns about the ballot language’s opening sentence and whether phrases such as “maintain rapid 911 emergency response times” or “locally controlled ambulance service” were the clearest, most defensible wording for voters and legal review. Councilmember Elizabeth suggested simpler phrasing — “maintain local ambulance service staffed by paramedics available to respond to 911 emergencies” — and asked staff and the RVPA to vet language with county elections counsel.
The council agreed to continue the item to the July 9 meeting to present revised ballot language and corrected ordinance text; staff said the continuation would allow the RVPA and county elections officials to vet any edits without delaying the overall timeline for an election filing.
