Ballots for this November’s General Election will be dropped in the mail two weeks from today and there are plenty of important votes to be placed as with all General Elections. While this may be the midterm at the congressional level, we have a governor election and several money measures on ballots in Josephine and Jackson counties.
In Josephine County, most of the political advocacy on money measures has been focused on Measure 17-129 “Renewal of Current Five-Year Jail and Juvenile Local Option Tax.” Notice that even in the measure name, it mentions Juvenile, Jail, and Renewal. John West, who was recalled from the office of County Commissioner in December 2024 by 62% of those that voted in the recall election, along with unpopular former commissioner Herman Baertschiger, have spent several thousands of dollars on voter’s pamphlet arguments, a court ballot title challenge, and advertisements against this simple levy renewal. All the arguments against the renewal measure in the voter’s pamphlet were placed by these two former commissioners and people who are known to be political friends of these two former commissioners. And in my opinion, most of the arguments against the measure contain either false or misleading statements.
Herman Baertschiger was on the radio as recently as yesterday making the false statement that this levy measure doesn’t provide funding for Juvenile Justice. A very quick read of the ballot title and explanatory statement easily proves this false. And during deliberations on the levy renewal terms, commissioners made it crystal clear they intend to keep the juvenile detention program funded similar to previous years. In my opinion, former commissioners West and Baertschiger seem to be advocating for taking money away from law enforcement programs similar to what they did when they “defunded police” by taking $2 million of general fund money away from the Sheriff’s budget during the creation of the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget in 2024. But don’t take my word for it, just see the following chart of General Fund support to the Sheriff which was presented by the Sheriff during his budget presentation in 2024.
Measure 17-129 “Renewal of Current Five-Year Jail and Juvenile Local Option Tax” is simply a renewal of a voter-approved levy that has been in place in Josephine County since 2017 as the current levy expires next year. It funds the same services and carries exactly the same 93-cent tax rate as the previous levy. The last time this was renewed in 2021, voters approved the renewal by about 66% yes.
Measure 17-130 is “Bonds to update school facilities, increase safety; receive grant” and is for all voters residing within the Grants Pass School District. QUESTION: Shall the District issue $10,890,000 general obligation bonds for school facility and safety improvements and receive $8,168,000 State grant?
The Grants Pass School District has been awarded $8,168,000 State grant only if this general obligation bond measure is approved. If approved, this measure would finance capital costs of the District, including constructing, acquiring, equipping and furnishing school facilities, HVAC improvements, electrical and plumbing improvements, roof replacements, site circulation and traffic flow safety improvements, restroom renovations and ADA updates, and athletic field and turf improvements. This measure is estimated to cost approximately $0.10 per $1,000.00 of assessed value and so a house with an assessed value of $300,000 would pay approximately $30 per year.
According to the explanatory statement, approximately half of the District’s school buildings are 60 to 70 years old. The oldest school was built in 1956. The measure would fund improvements to heating and cooling, roofing, plumbing, electrical systems, school safety, traffic circulation, restrooms, and athletic facilities. Every school in the District is earmarked to receive funds, except for the school inside the Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility.
Measure 17-128 is a Five-Year Local Option Levy for Fire and Emergency Services for voters in the Williams Rural Fire Protection District. This measure would authorize a five-year local option levy of $1.35 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in fiscal year 2027-2028. The district’s current five-year local option levy expires on June 30, 2027. Temporary grant funding currently supporting staffing and operations is also scheduled to expire before the proposed levy would take effect.
Revenue from the proposed levy would be used for district operating expenses, including providing 24-hour staffing at the fire station, emergency response services, firefighter training, equipment, facilities, and other district operations. Without the revenue provided by the proposed levy, all paid emergency response staffing would be discontinued, and the district would rely on volunteer firefighters to provide emergency response services.
There are two measures in Jackson County, but only one is a “money measure.” Measure 15-243 for City of Ashland voters is titled “Requiring Voter Approval for New or Increased Fee or Tax.” If approved by voters, this citizen-initiated measure would require voter approval before the City can implement new or increased utility bill fees or taxes unrelated to utility operations.
Measure 15-244 from the Jackson County Vector Control District is titled “Five-Year Local Option Levy for Vector (Mosquito, Fly) Control.” Voters will decide whether the District can impose five-year operating levy of $.05/$1,000 of assessed value beginning FY2027-28. If voter approved, this would be a new local option levy to support operations in Jackson County, including increasing monitoring and prevention of mosquito and tickborne diseases, increasing surveillance and control of larval and adult mosquitoes, flies, and ticks in Jackson County, adding an additional full-time Lab/Surveillance Technician, funding vehicle and equipment maintenance, and expanding public outreach and education. The District serves a population of more than 200,000 in a service area of 2,802 square miles.