In the first round of ballots, counted in Lane County’s special election in May, voters were mixed in support for four campaigns that support a variety of projects and taxes.
Here are the unofficial results from Tuesday night:
# 20-318 – Mohawk Valley Law Enforcement District
So far, a majority of the ballots show that Mohawk Valley residents are only just voting against accepting a full-time resident deputy from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office in their area.
Tuesday evening’s unofficial election results show that 567 people will vote against the addition of the deputy position and 534 people will vote in favor.
Lane County’s Sherriff Cliff Harrold said he thought the move would provide better service to residents of the valley, but didn’t rule out the outcome could change given how scarce the votes are.
“I think if it still happens it would or would have provided good service to the people out there,” said Harrold. “But if it’s something that the community decided, ‘No, we’re fine with the level of service we have today.’ That’s how our system is built. I like that we live in a country where people can make that choice. “
The borrowing would add an alternate in charge of the Mohawk Valley, which covers the same area as the fire district, which is 26.5 square miles.
Lane County Special Election Results: Election measures, competitive races
Harrold said he pursued the idea after speaking with local residents eager to resume the resident MPs program that existed 30 years ago when Harrold first started working for the office and had a dedicated assistant in charge of criminal cases and investigations involved in the valley.
With only three MPs and a supervisor on duty at any given time to cover unincorporated parts of the county, this has often resulted in significant waiting times for people in need of law enforcement in the Mohawk Valley.
If measure 20-318 is approved, the resident alternate would cover the same area as the fire area. The position would be funded by a permanent tax and the alternate would begin on July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
The position would be funded by a tax of $ 0.48 per $ 1,000 of the estimated property value for residents of the area. The tax would cost the average homeowner $ 121.42 per year based on the median estimated home value of $ 252,949.
Previous reporting:Mohawk Valley residents vote to add a resident MP
# 20-319 – Lane County
Lane County’s residents have so far voted to increase property taxes to fund the 4-H and Oregon State University Extension Service programs.
Measure 20-319 introduces a special local tax that supports the expansion of existing 4-H and other youth opportunities in rural areas, the continuation of volunteer training programs and much more.
According to the unofficial census on Tuesday evening, 34,718 people voted for the measure while 19,646 voted against.
Jillian Drewes, the local liaison officer for the OSU Extension Service, said she and her staff are excited about the opportunity to expand and add programs with additional funds if approved.
“So far, I am very encouraged by these unofficial results and I hope that we will get more votes in support of Extension,” said Drewes. “I know that all of us, including our huge community of volunteers, staff and the many participants in our program, are excited to show how much more we can do for other parts of the county the small increase in the tax charge really gives us an opportunity to show what we can do. “
One program that Drewes said funding would allow the OSU Extension Service to add is called Juntos, which exists elsewhere in the state and is designed to provide resources to encourage students to graduate from high school and enter college .
If approved, the measure would create a five-year local tax that costs voters 2.8 cents for every $ 1,000 of estimated property value. A property valued at $ 200,000 would pay $ 5.60 per year.
This rate is projected to return $ 1.052 million in 2021, $ 1.034 million in 2022, $ 1.017 million in 2023, $ 1.052 million in 2024, and $ 1.089 million in 2025.
The total estimated total to be raised over a five-year period is approximately $ 5.2 million.
Previous reporting:Election preview: Local tax would fund 4-H, OSU Extension Service programs
# 20-320 – Lane Fire Authority
Lane Fire Authority residents are voting on a five-year levy to hire three full-time firefighters and fund other expenses.
So far, residents are in favor of the levy, with 2,952 people voting for the measure and 1,806 people voting against it based on the unofficial results on Tuesday evening.
By hiring three additional employees, the fire department could have an additional firefighter at any time during the week, avoiding times when only one person is employed in parts of the district, according to the department’s website.
In Measure 20-320, residents of the Lane Fire Authority – a sprawling 282 square mile region west, northwest, and southwest of Eugene – are asked if they would like to approve the five-year levy.
If approved, a tax of $ 0.35 per $ 1,000 of the estimated property value would be charged.
Previous reporting:Election Preview: The Lane Fire Authority’s five-year levy would add 3 firefighter medics
# 20-321 – McKenzie School District # 68
The McKenzie School District is asking residents to approve a loan to upgrade the school building in the May 18 special election.
Initial results show that so far, the majority of the district’s residents are against the loan, which will ask voters to repay $ 15.2 million over 25 years.
Tuesday evening’s unofficial results show that 201 people are in favor of the bond move and 267 people are against.
McKenzie School District superintendent Lane Tompkins said the past year has been tough for the community in the face of the pandemic and the Holiday Farm Fire that may have made it difficult to approve a tax.
“It has been a tough year for our church, like so many churches across the state,” he said. “We understand that this may not be the right time to make an additional tax request. … It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but we are also a little disappointed.”
Without the additional funding, the district will have to find other ways to address problems with outdated school buildings, Tompkins said.
“I think there are some needs we need to figure out how to address soon, so we need to be a little more creative to make sure our students have facilities that are working and safe,” said Tompkins.
If passed, the measure would fund projects such as a complete rebuild of the elementary school, retrofitting of earthquake-proof schools, and improvements to outdated HVAC and safety systems.
If voters approve the loan, the district will also receive a $ 4 million federal grant through the Oregon School Capital Improvement Program
According to the district’s fact sheet, homeowners would see an increase of approximately $ 1.92 per $ 1,000 in estimated property value. For a $ 210,174 home, that would be about $ 404 per year.
Previous reporting:Election Preview: McKenzie School District Bond Asks Voters For New Elementary School, Updates