§ 21A-1. Necessity, authority and purpose.

a.

The Board of Supervisors has determined:

1.

It is critically important to the residents and businesses located within the cities of Biggs and Gridley and the adjacent unincorporated area of Butte County (which is co-terminus with the area within the boundaries of County Service Area ("CSA") 37) that a hospital within these communities be available to provide emergency room services; and

2.

The Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital, which is the sole provider of critical emergency room facilities within these communities, is facing the closure of its emergency room in the absence of funding of the costs of emergency room services which are not otherwise offset by the revenues from operation of the emergency room (referred to herein as the "standby costs"); and

3.

Closure of the Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital's emergency room would constitute a significant detriment of and to the health, welfare and safety of the citizens residing within the area encompassed by CSA 37; and

4.

The levy of a special tax as hereinafter provided within the area co-terminus with the boundaries of CSA 37 and corresponding special taxes levied in the cities of Biggs and Gridley, is necessary to provide funding to maintain operation of the Biggs-Gridley Hospital's emergency room, so as to provide these critical services within the southern portion of Butte County.

b.

This Article is adopted in order to establish a dedicated source of funding in the form of a special property tax that will be used exclusively for the purpose of contracting with the Biggs-Gridley Hospital for maintenance of the emergency room services.

(Ord. No. 3937, § 1 (part), 7-25-06)