Votes on shelter, library tax levies due at drop sites by 8 p.m. Tuesday



Slightly more than 35 percent of Lincoln County voters had returned their ballots as of press time on Thursday in an election that will decide the fate of two proposed county measures. Both are five-year tax levies - one to support the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, and the other to fund the Lincoln County Library District.

Both Measures have received high levels of emotional support from their constituencies, who continue to educate, post signage, and write editorials on behalf of their levy.

Voters have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to place their ballots with any of the official county election drop sites, which are at each city hall location. There are also 24-hour drive-up drop boxes in Waldport and Lincoln City and at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Newport.

County Clerk Dana Jenkins says ballots are returning at a steady rate everyday. The total was 35.25 percent as of Thursday, and “I’m expecting a 50 percent turnout on this particular election,” Jenkins said.

Not all Lincoln County voters have both measures on their ballots. This has been confusing to voters who received ballots without Measure 21-133. Jenkins said, “Taxpayers in Newport, Lincoln City, Toledo, and Yachats are not in the Lincoln County Library District, so they do not have the library measure on their ballot. Taxpayers who reside inside the library district pay city taxes, which support their library. Siletz, Waldport, and Depoe Bay have joined the library district, so voters within these areas are able to vote on this Measure.”

Jenkins says about 60 percent of the ballots distributed have both Measures.



Library measure



Measure 21-133 is a local option tax that will benefit the county’s library district and the funding it provides to libraries in Lincoln City, Newport, Siletz, Toledo, and Waldport. Voter approval of this measure will renew the expiring local option tax at its present level for an additional five years.

Measure 21-133 will cost Lincoln County voters 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, as established in the original measure in 2004. According to the statement filed by Chris Boyle, president, Lincoln County Library District Board of Directors, it will continue full access to the public libraries in Lincoln City, Newport, Siletz, Toledo, and Waldport.

Library services are much more than the traditional “checking out” of books. Lincoln County Library District includes checkout of videos, DVDs, and other library materials, in addition to books. Internet reserve service is also available, facility computer use for checking e-mail and Internet research, database reference, and courier service from other libraries.



The shelter measure



Measure 21-134 is a local option tax that will allow for Lincoln County to continue operating a full-service animal shelter for homeless, abandoned, and abused cats and dogs; and provide animal control services for all areas of Lincoln County. Voter approval of this measure will ensure that the county’s animal shelter is fully funded for a five-year period.

The cost for this measure is 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, totaling around $20 per year.

If Measure 21-134 passes, the shelter programs will continue as they currently are in place under the leadership of Interim Director Sergeant Barbara Perry. If the measure does not pass, the shelter will close to the public on July 1, 2010. Staffing will be cut to 1.5 FTE. Dogs will be impounded for three days, then they will be euthanized. There will be no outplacements with other shelters, and there will be no services at all for cats.



Contact Barbara B. Covell at bbcovell@mac.com



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