Measure to Upgrade County's Emergency System Too Close to Call

By Bay City News Service:

The results of Measure M, a $29 annual parcel tax for 20 years to upgrade Marin County’s aging communications system, was among several measures that were too close to call, according to unofficial election results late Tuesday night.

Measure M needs two-thirds percent approval and it had 65.66 percent of the vote with early mail in ballots and ballots from 173 precincts.

Proponents said the current Marin Emergency Radio Authority’s communication system that handles 4.4 million radio calls annually from local public safety agencies is on the verge of being inoperable.

They said upgrading the system’s equipment and software will reduce response times, expand coverage, increase reliability and use the latest technology.

An opposition group, Citizens for Sustainable Pension Plans, claimed the $40 million MERA upgrade was fiscally irresponsible. CSPP spokesman Richard Tait said the next-generation radio system may be needed but not in view of $1 billion in unfunded retiree benefits that are “eating up available tax revenues that should fund core services.”

There were 18 measures on the Marin County ballot Tuesday.

Measure R, a proposal to continue leasing Marin General Hospital to the nonprofit Marin General Hospital Corp. for an annual rent of $500,000, was passing with 78 percent of the vote.

The measures that were failing late Tuesday night were Measure B, a $9 million bond measure in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, Measure P, a special parcel tax for paramedic services in the Ross Valley Paramedic Service Area, and Measure S, a special tax for paramedic services in the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District.

Measure T, a $3.5 million bond issue in the Strawberry Recreation District for a new community building, also was too close to call. In the only city council race in the county, Jill Hoffman and Herb Weiner were elected to the Sausalito City Council’s two seats. Jonathan Leone finished third.