County Republicans elect to support public safety levy
The Josephine County Republican Central Committee voted unanimously to support the county’s proposed May 15 public safety levy during its Thursday, April 5 meeting in Grants Pass.
The vote came after Commissioner Dwight Ellis gave a presentation on the county’s budget in relation to federal O&C funds, given in lieu of declining timber receipts.
Commissioner Dave Toler gave a similar presentation to the Josephine County Democrat Central Committee on March 22. The Democrats also voted to support the levy, meaning that it has the backing of the local chapters of both major political parties.
Ellis began by stating that the county passed a jail levy of 78-cents per $1,000 of assessed property value earlier this decade. That levy met the state’s double majority requirement, which states that more than 50 percent of registered voters must turn out and approve a measure for it to pass.
Around 56 percent of the county’s voters participated in that election, with 52 percent voting in favor of the jail levy.
Discontinued federal funds will cause a 57 percent reduction in the county’s general fund, Ellis said, a loss of slightly more than $12 million.
Ellis said that monies collected from the levy would go toward replacing the lost federal funds.
“It’s not additional money,” Ellis said.
There are 17 taxing districts in the county, Ellis said, including fire, water, sewer and school districts. For every dollar that residents pay in property taxes, 8.4-cents goes toward running county government. Those figures will add up to a total of $3 million this year, Ellis said.
Ellis said that the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office requires $9 million in funding, and that laying off all county employees still wouldn’t cover the $12 million loss.
The statewide median property tax rate is $2.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Ellis said that Josephine County commissioners have spoken with the area’s state legislators about bringing counties with lower tax rates up to that median.
Ellis said that if federal funds are approved, the county will reduce the levy amount collected dollar for dollar, as per a Feb. 14 resolution passed by the commissioners.
“That’s our promise to the voters of Josephine County,” Ellis said.
The O&C funds are currently attached to an emergency spending bill that includes continued appropriations for the Iraq War and $21 billion in other spending. Congressional Democrats have made a timetable for withdraw from Iraq a condition of that legislation, and President Bush has vowed to veto it over that provision.
Ellis said that the county won’t know the fate of the federal funds until between May 15 and June 15. Meanwhile, the county is preparing a series of public service announcements, and has sought the support of Kiwanis, Rotary and chamber of commerce organizations in the county
