Ross voters will be asked to extend tax for public safety

Ross voters will decide on Nov. 7 whether to extend a parcel tax that funds police and fire services.

The Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to call the special election with the tax pitch on the ballot.

“Beyond the fact that fire and police are important, we don’t have much in the way of sources of income,” Councilmember Beach Kuhl said after the meeting.

“We don’t have much sales tax, we don’t have much real estate activity compared to others, so we need to go out and get a special tax in order to be able to provide these services,” he said.

The new tax would replace Measure K, which was approved in 2016, Town Manager Christa Johnson said. The measure needed a two-thirds majority to pass and secured nearly 79%. The tax was approved at a rate of $970 per parcel with annual cost-of-living increases.

The property tax, which provides about $953,000 in revenue for police and fire services, is set to expire on June 30, 2025.

For fiscal year ending on June 30, the rate is $1,141, a 5.2% increase over the prior year. The tax covers about 20% of the town’s expenses related to fire and police services.

The resolution for the new tax calls for a 10-year term ending on June 30, 2035. The rate would start at $1,201 a year and rise with cost-of-living increases.

The town’s five-year financial forecast predicts that the level of services can only be maintained if the tax is renewed, Johnson said.

“However, if the public safety parcel tax expired without a replacement, the town would have to reduce expenditures by approximately a million dollars per year, which would cause severe service level declines,” Johnson said.

The tax was recommended for renewal by a town subcommittee consisting of Councilmembers Julie McMillan and Elizabeth Robbins.

The town’s contribution to the Ross Valley Fire Department is about $2.8 million this year, according to the town’s budget. The Ross Police Department budget is $2 million. The budgets amount to more than 50% of the town’s annual operating expenses.

The Ross Valley Fire Department is a consolidated agency serving Ross, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow and Fairfax. The department serves about 25,000 people out of four fire stations.

The Ross tax renewal will continue to stipulate that revenue would be used solely for police and fire services. The special purpose tax requires a two-thirds approval by voters.

Calling a special election is expected to cost the town an estimated $20,000 to $26,000.