Stanton : Paramedic, Ambulance Tax to Be Put to Vote

Stanton residents will vote for the third time Tuesday on whether to continue to pay taxes for paramedic and ambulance service in the city, except this time the vote will be permanent.

In 1981 and 1983, property-tax increases were approved on a two-year basis. If the measure passes Tuesday, only another act of the voters could repeal it.

City Manager Kevin O’Rourke said if the measure is approved, the tax would remain at the same level--$24 for each single-family home and apartment unit, $18 for each mobile home site, $300 for each acre of commercial or industrial property and $75 for each acre of vacant land.

“We had limited it to two years but we’ve gotten a lot of comments which tell us the voters will support it on a permanent basis,” said O’Rourke. “I think they’re saying we shouldn’t jeopardize the paramedic service by running it up the flagpole every two years.”

The measure requires two-thirds approval. In 1981, 67% of the voters favored it, while 80% cast “yes” votes in 1983.

O’Rourke said the tax became necessary when the city could no longer afford to pay for the services after Proposition 13 curbed property taxes in 1978.

The cost of both services last year was about $398,000, compared to about $370,000 in 1982-83. Stanton contracts with the City of Garden Grove and the county for paramedic services and operates its own ambulance service.