Voter turnout higher than expected for special election



With a higher-than-expected turnout of almost 53 percent, Lincoln City voters resoundingly rejected the city’s attempt to boost the local gas tax by three cents per gallon to help cover costs of annual street maintenance.

Of the 1,908 ballots returned from the city’s four precincts, 1,296 (68 percent) opposed Measure 21-135, and 611 (32 percent) backed it, with one undervote (an undervote occurs when a voter either selects less than the maximum number of choices allowed, or - intentionally or unintentionally - makes no selection in a single-choice contest).

Special elections, especially one-item ballots, often aren’t compelling enough to get voter attention.

But the North Lincoln County Chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP)-Oregon kept the issue front and center, first by gathering enough signatures for a voter referendum, then by actively campaigning against it through typical grassroots approaches - letters to the editor, door to door in neighborhoods, and attending public meetings to network with policymakers and voters.

Jim Hoover, a general contractor who owns and operates Innovative Construction Services, Inc. in Lincoln City, led the local AFP effort.

AFP is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to “advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity.” It focuses on individual productivity and prosperity by limiting the growth of state and federal government, and “returning government to its constitutional limits.” AFP-Oregon has 25 local chapters statewide that hold regular meetings and work on local, state, and national issues. The organization’s mission is “to identify, train, and motivate grassroots volunteers, so they can create enduring political change in their local communities.”

“In politics, there is no substitute for a hard-working and well-organized ground game,” AFP-Oregon State Director Jeff Kropf said in a press release issued Wednesday.

Kropf said AFP originally trained the local chapter to gather signatures for Measures 66 and 67, and chapter members “applied this knowledge to a local issue, which is the definition of what AFP is all about.” He commended the local chapter’s accomplishment, in particular Hoover for “leading a tremendous, successful effort.”

Hoover said the two-to-one margin sends an emphatic message that voters want local governments to rein in spending and balance budgets without putting additional burdens on already strapped taxpayers.

He called the voter turnout “an incredible response.”

“I’m always excited when citizens become involved in government,” Hoover said, noting that getting people involved with government accountability and making them aware of the issues helps them “retain the right to decide for themselves.”



Funding shortage

Discussions about a possible gas tax emerged when City Manager David Hawker proposed it last July.

The city currently has $150,000 available for annual street maintenance, but to adequately maintain existing streets, Hawker said they would need an estimated $450,000 per year for the next 10 years, and had little to no existing funds available to make other improvements, including those related to safety and storm drainage. Proposed solutions to the shortfall included the gasoline tax, a transportation utility fee ranging from $1 to $5 per month per residence added to their water bill, a property tax, or taking money from the city’s general fund, which would eventually cut into other services provided by the city, such as police, library, and essential community programs.

City council members approved an ordinance to establish the three-cent gas tax, effective July 1, with all net revenues designated strictly for street construction, repair, and maintenance (patching, overlays, street sweeping, crosswalks, signs, storm drain cleaning, and related work).

“The alternatives for funding street maintenance in Lincoln City, such as a transportation utility fee or property tax, all cost more,” Mayor Lori Hollingsworth stated in a letter to the News-Times prior to the election. “If the city used general funds to cover the street costs, the consequences would ultimately be significant cuts to police, library and essential community programs. Without these additional funds, our city streets will deteriorate slowly at first, then at a rapid pace even while the traffic burden grows. If we don’t support this, we will pass a much bigger problem to the next generation.”

Tuesday, the voters resoundingly said no.



Preventive measure

Hawker said the election results simply meant they faced the “status quo” going into budget discussions, and he has no intention of proposing any drastic cuts to offset the shortfall in the street funds.

The gas tax, he added, was more of a “preventive measure,” and they would “do everything we can to put more money into streets.”

“We are nowhere near a crisis at this point,” said Hawker, noting they had “made a considerable investment” in streets for many years, primarily through urban renewal efforts. But at some point, they must find another source of funds for street upkeep, or face more costly fixes down the road.

Councilor Rick Brissette said the outcome disappointed him, but “the people have spoken, and we will find a solution for this problem as best we can.”

He believes a number of factors contributed to the measure’s defeat, primarily the ragged economy. “The hardest thing to do is to take a vote to tax the people, especially in difficult times,” he said, noting that it meant he was taxing himself, too.

Now they need to find other funding sources, and they will cross that street when they get to it during the budget process.



Terry Dillman is the assistant editor of the News-Times. Contact him at (541) 265-8571, ext 225, or terrydillman@newportnewstimes.com.





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