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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Elk hunters look to expand on last year's improved season ... Two charged in July stun-gun robbery ... K-Falls man poisoned woman with Visine eyedrops ... Elk hunters look to expand on last year's improved season ... Two charged in July stun-gun robbery ... K-Falls man poisoned woman with Visine eyedrops ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Time was of the essence in pot tax vote Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News There was an election in Jackson County on March 10, and now there is an upcoming election on May 19. Why couldn't the two have been combined into one ballot? It seems that it would have been more logical and cost effective to do so. — Jean, by email Jean, we went to county Administrator Danny Jordan with your question, and he agreed that it would have been logical and cost effective to have one election instead of two. But there were other factors at play. First, a bit of background. In the March 10 election, the county asked voters to be allowed to impose a tax on marijuana sales and the voters overwhelmingly agreed, with nearly two-thirds supporting the measure. The county argued that approval put it on a level playing field with the many cities and other jurisdictions in the state that had set up pot taxes. The county charter requires a vote of the people for any new tax, so the request had to be put to an election. The March 10 date was the earliest available election date, which Jordan says was an important factor as the state Legislature was expected to consider a variety of marijuana-related measures during its current session. Jordan says the major impetus for setting the early election — which was estimated to cost $100,000 — was concern that the Legislature or state agencies would make it more difficult for local governments to impose a tax on marijuana. Jordan wrote in an email: "... the Board of Commissioners, as well as staff, anticipated many potential legislative actions that would/may affect the ability to implement the marijuana tax ordinance. If they would have waited until the May election, the legislature could have already passed (and still might pass prior to the May election) legislation to attempt to block or impede the ability of the County to implement the tax prior to the voters having the opportunity to weigh in on the issue." Measure 91, approved by Oregon voters in November, approved the sale and use of recreational marijuana. It also set up a state tax and expressly prohibited local governments from imposing their own taxes. But that restriction is likely to be challenged in court, and numerous local governments, including Jackson County, wanted to have a tax on the books, hoping to be grandfathered in before the Legislature takes any further action. Stay tuned, this will likely take awhile to settle. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501