Money measures asking voters across the greater Portland area to pay for a range of public services – from police, fire and schools to homeless response and food for children fighting hunger – drew mixed results Tuesday, with some appearing to pass and others appearing to fail.
Some measures would create new property taxes while others would maintain existing ones at current rates. They affect Portland, Lake Oswego, Lake Grove, Gresham, Sherwood, North Plains, Oregon City and Clackamas, among other communities.
Here’s a round-up of some of the measures:
Portland Children’s Levy: As of 10 p.m., partial results showed Measure 26-240 passing with about 68% of the vote. Originally approved by voters in 2002, the levy will be renewed for another five years starting in 2024. Taxpayers will continue to be charged at $.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The levy is expected to raise an estimated $25 million in 2024. The money will continue to fund programs preventing childhood hunger and child abuse, as well as support after-school activities and fund efforts to help foster kids.
Gresham’s police, fire, homeless levy: The “Gresham Safety Levy” was too close to call with 49.3% of the vote “yes” and 50.7% “no,” according to partial results as of 10 p.m. Gresham says that without the passage of Measure 26-239, it’s facing an $8 million budget shortfall and potential layoffs of police officers and firefighters. The measure would create a tax of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value for five years starting in July. The city said the money would preserve police and fire jobs, allowing it to hire new police employees to focus on traffic enforcement, gun violence and drug enforcement; to hire firefighters to improve 911 response times; and to pay for emergency homeless response on evenings and weekends.
Lake Oswego School District levy: At 10 p.m., partial results showed this levy passing with 71% of the vote. The original levy passed in 2000. Measure 3-592 is a renewal that will continue to charge property taxpayers at a rate of $1.64 per $1,000 of assessed property value starting in 2024-25, picking up when the current levy expires.
It will protect class sizes, educational staff, school days and electives. The district estimates the money from a renewed levy will amount to about 15% of the district’s general operating budget.
Sherwood School District levy: Partial results as of 10 p.m. showed this levy appearing to head toward a win with 57% of the vote. The district says Measure 34-323 would help it weather an expected $7 million shortfall in the 2023-24 school year brought on by inflation, insufficient state funding and a lack of district reserve money. The measure would tax residents at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value for five years, beginning in 2023-24. The money would help ward off potential of staff layoffs, furlough days and the loss of some academic programming, according to the district.
North Plains’ overnight police levy: At 10 p.m., partial results showed this levy appearing to fail with 60% of voters choosing “no.” Measure 34-322 called for North Plains police to be on duty overnight, allowing them to respond to high-priority calls – such as assaults – quicker than Washington County Sheriff’s deputies, who must travel farther and take longer to respond. Residents also might not have had to wait until an officer is on-duty the next day for a response to lower priority calls, such as noise complaints. The levy proposed charging $1.65 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Oregon City urban renewal: This measure appeared to be losing with 59% of voters choosing “no,” according to partial results. Measure 3-597 called for the city to borrow up to $44 million for projects within its 855-acre urban renewal area. That area includes the downtown region, Clackamette Cove and the Rossman Landfill redevelopment site. The measure didn’t propose a new tax. Instead, it called for the money to be repaid by “tax increment revenues collected within Oregon City,” according to the measure’s backers.
Lake Grove Fire District levy: This levy was passing with 82% of the vote, according to partial results as of 10 p.m. Measure 3-598 renews an existing levy at its current rate of $.15 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The renewed levy will pay for fire services and will be in effect for five years, starting in 2024-25.
Clackamas Fire District levy: This levy appeared to be passing with 57% of the vote, partial results as of 10 p.m. showed. Measure 3-594 would support medical, fire and wildfire response and prevention throughout the district, which encompasses 220,000 residents and responded to more than 30,000 calls in 2022. The region covers Oregon City, Beavercreek, Oak Grove, Gladstone, Clackamas, Damascus and more. The five-year levy would cost $.52 per $1,000 of assessed property value beginning in 2023-24.
— Aimee Green; [email protected]
Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe