Corte Madera voters decide on Nov. 3, 2026 whether to keep paying a special parcel tax that funds local paramedics. Measure Q would continue the tax for four years at $94.50 per home, with yearly increases capped at $7.75, and raise about $786,000 a year for paramedic and emergency medical services, according to the Marin County voter guide.

Why it matters: The current tax, last approved in 2022, ends June 30, 2027. Supporters say the town's present level of paramedic service can't continue without it.

What a yes vote does

A yes vote renews the tax for four years. It would start 10 days after the Town Council declares the result and replace the 2022 tax. The rates, per the Town Attorney's impartial analysis:

  • Homes: $94.50 a year per residential unit, rising to a maximum of $117.75
  • Businesses and other nonresidential property: $94.50 a year per 1,000 square feet of floor area, with the same $117.75 maximum

The money can be spent only on paramedic and emergency medical services, and that limit is legally binding. The Town Treasurer must file a report with the council by Aug. 1 each year showing how much was collected and spent, the status of services and any money carried over. The ballot question refers to it as the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority measure.

What a no vote does

A no vote leaves the existing tax in place until June 30, 2027, when it stops. After that, Corte Madera would have no voter-approved parcel tax for paramedic service.

How many votes it needs

Measure Q is a special tax, so it needs two-thirds of the votes cast to pass, not a simple majority. The Town Council placed it on the ballot.

Who's for it and who's against it

The argument in favor is signed by Mayor Rosa Thomas, Vice Mayor Fred Casissa, Fire Chief Ruben Martin and Bridget Peterson, a clinical educator and nurse with the Central Marin Fire Authority and Marin County Fire Department. They write that Corte Madera voters have supported local paramedic funding since 1983, that paramedics ride aboard fire engines as well as ambulances so advanced care arrives quickly, and that insurance collections and billing of nonresidents cover only part of the cost. They also note the money "cannot be diverted" and cannot be taken by the state or federal government.

No argument against Measure Q was filed with the county.

Other Marin measures

Corte Madera voters will also see countywide Measure P, the childcare parcel tax. Nearby, Mill Valley is asking voters to renew its own service tax with Measure T. For every race and measure we've covered, see our Election 2026 guide.