News Alert: The ‘A’ Word Removed From Pine Mountain Paramedic Ordinance

Measure Cleaned Up to Go To Voters, Attorney Says
By Patric Hedlund

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. — On Tuesday, Aug. 26 the word ‘ambulance’ was removed from the ordinance that will be activated if a measure on firefighter-paramedics wins a 2/3 majority of ‘yes’ votes from Pine Mountain voters in November. The re-wording was passed unanimously on the Board of Supervisors’ consent agenda without discussion.

Assistant County Counsel Steve Schuett, who drafted the original ordinance, was asked by The Mountain Enterprise prior to the vote why the change was made. Schuett’s reply: “Given the confusion over the use of the word ‘ambulance’ in the ordinance, we are proposing that the Board amend the ordinance to limit the use of the CSA 40 special tax, if approved, to only firefighter paramedics. While it does limit any flexibility for expenditure of the funds, this is consistent with the Board’s original intent in submitting the proposal to the voters.”

“I know people in this community were apprehensive about voting for this  because it didn’t specifically state “firefighter-paramedic,” so being more specific will make people more comfortable that they know what they are voting for. People still feel distrust about the supervisors, and didn’t want to be taken in by a fast one,” Frances Durocher of Pine Mountain said. “People feel that if they are giving this extra tax money to the county, they want to be sure that it will go specifically to firefighter-paramedics and nowhere else.”

This is part of the August 22, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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