Parcel Tax
About the Parcel Tax
The North Sonoma County Healthcare District (NSCHD) has the authority to levy a special parcel tax of up to $150 on every parcel within its boundaries that appears on the annual secured Sonoma County property tax roll. The District has chosen to exempt all taxable parcels with less than $1,500 value. Funds from the parcel tax support Healdsburg Hospital’s 24/7 Emergency Room Services which fills a critical gap between the Ukiah and the Santa Rosa hospitals and serves over 10,000 patients annually.
Some parcels may be exempt from this tax. If you believe you may qualify for an exemption, please contact the NSCHD Board Clerk, Juliana Dougan, at jdougan@healthypetaluma.org or +1 (707) 285 2261 to request more information. Click here for an application for exemption.
History of the Parcel Tax:
- 2001 Approval: Residents in northern Sonoma County voted Tuesday 11/6/2001 by an 84%-16% margin to approve an $85 annual parcel tax that will provide funding for medical services at Healdsburg General Hospital, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. The tax, which easily garnered more than the two-thirds majority needed for approval, will be levied on every property owner in the area and is expected to raise $1.9 million each year. Voters also approved a measure that will create a public hospital district to run the facility. Supporters of the parcel tax said that keeping the hospital open was important because it is Healdsburg’s second-largest employer. In addition, supporters said that having the hospital’s emergency room available was “preferable” to traveling to Santa Rosa for treatment.
- 2004 Increase Approved: Nearly three-fourths of Healdsburg hospital district residents who voted on Tuesday 4/13/2004 supported a measure to increase parcel taxes from $85 to $150 to fund the Healdsburg District Hospital in Sonoma County. Measure G, which won the support of 71.5% of voters in the special election, will raise an estimated $1.2 million per year, about 9% of the public hospital’s annual $13.7 million budget. Supporters of the measure say it will provide funds needed to continue operations while the hospital “shifts to more profitable medical services” and could help maintain the hospital’s emergency department.