Marin Voters Approve Most Measures, Hospital Bonds
MARIN COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Voters in Marin County approved nine of 10 measures on the November ballot, including four sales tax measures and a $394 million bond issue for new construction and improvements to Marin General Hospital, according to unofficial final results.
Measure F, the Marin Healthcare District's $394 million bond measure appears to have passed with 68 percent approval. It needed two-thirds approval to pass. The bonds will be used for seismic upgrades to Marin General Hospital—the county's only designated trauma center—expand emergency and other medical facilities, and reduce emergency room waiting times.
Measure A, the Lagunitas Elementary School District's $5-million bond measure passed with 67 percent. It needed a majority approval to pass. The money will be used to modernize classrooms and libraries, renovate school facilities, enhance student access to technology and upgrade playgrounds and playing fields.
The town of Corte Madera's Measure B, a half-cent sales tax measure for six years, passed with 67 percent approval. The money will pay for essential city services. The current tax rate is 8.5 percent.
Larkspur voters approved Measure C, a half-cent sales tax hike for five years for streets and roads, pothole repair and police and fire protection and other essential city services. The current tax rate is 8.5 percent. The measure passed with 74 percent of the vote.
Measure D in San Anselmo passed with 68 percent of the vote. It will raise the sales tax rate a half-cent for 10 years to pay for potholes, road repaving, public safety and other general town services. San Anselmo's tax rate is currently 8.5 percent.
San Rafael voters not only extended a half-cent sales tax for city services but raised the tax one-quarter cent for 20 years. Measure E received 65 percent of the vote. That will raise the City's tax rate to 9.25 percent -- the highest in Marin County.
San Rafael officials say the money from Measure E will pay for maintaining rapid police and fire response times, maintaining adequate police and fire staffing and repairing city streets.
All four sales tax measures required the approval of a majority of the voters.
The Kentfield Fire District's Measure G passed with 75 percent approval. It called for repealing the existing fire tax of six cents per building square-foot and replacing it with a tax of 10 cents per square foot. The tax revenue is to maintain rapid medical emergency response services and contribute to the District's long-term fiscal well-being. It required two-thirds approval.
Voters approved Measure H in the Marinwood Community Services District, a special tax for park, street and open space maintenance services in Marinwood for the next four fiscal years. A majority approval was required for passage, and it won 76 percent of the vote.
Mesa Park District voters approved a special $49 annual tax for four years to maintain and operate Mesa Park at 110 Mesa Road. Measure I required two-thirds approval and received 71 percent.
The only measure that failed was Measure J, a $7 million bond measure for recreational construction and improvements in the Strawberry Recreation District. It required two-thirds approval, but won only 47 percent of the vote.
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