In June 1974, Garden Grove voters approved a property tax increase (override) to pay for emergency paramedic services.  The approved ballot measure established a property tax specifically to pay for a "mobile intensive care program," or paramedic services, in an amount not to exceed 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.  The mobile intensive care program (paramedic services) can be provided to the Community by the City or on a regional basis.

City Council Resolution No. 4547-74, which authorized the ballot measure, stated the specific purpose for which the property tax was imposed; namely, to provide for (1) an emergency medical care system with a response time of five minutes; (2) to pay salaries; and (3) to purchase and maintain vehicles, radio, telemetry and intensive care equipment, and all necessary supplies. 

The current tax rate of 8 cents ($0.08) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of the assessed valuation was adopted by the City Council in June 2017. 

In order for the City to continue to provide paramedic emergency medical care services, it is necessary to generate revenue through the use of an ad valorem tax override on the taxable property within the City limits.  The proposed tax override rate is 8 cents ($0.08) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of the assessed valuation.  This rate has been unchanged since 2017.

It is recommended that the City Council:

•  Introduce and conduct the first reading of the attached ordinance authorizing a property tax override of 8 cents ($0.08) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of the assessed value for Fiscal Year 2022-23 for paramedic emergency medical care services.