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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 9, 2005 Poor turnout kills levy By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER — Poor voter turnout defeated the city’s public safety levy designed to ensure full-time staffing at the police department. County Clerk Kathy Beckett said only 42.7 percent of the 1,261 ballots sent out had been returned as of the 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline. The proposed five-year option tax, Measure 15-63, required 50 percent of the ballots be returned with greater than 50 percent of residents favoring the levy. Although more than 50 percent of the ballots that were returned reflected voter approval of the levy, the final tally was 128 votes shy of the majority turnout, said Beckett. "For this election we had had 263 ‘yes’ votes and 240 ‘no’ votes," said Beckett. "That is our unofficial, final tally." Late last week, Beckett informed the city the election returns were looking bleak. City staff and police officials urged residents to vote regardless of their position on the issue. Advertisement "We should always have over 50 percent of the people voting on everything," City Administrator Mark Reagles said on Thursday. Designed to maintain a five-member police force and a full-time police clerk, the levy would have imposed a tax of 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value — or $134 per year on a $200,000 home — beginning fiscal year 2006-2007. A total of $430,671 would have been raised to supplement the department’s funding through 2011. Reagles also stated the department has funding for a fifth officer through the current fiscal year. But costs have risen to a point where current property taxes and revenue from the general fund cannot support five officers and a full-time clerk, he said. Police officials said the department is currently understaffed at only four officers, while call volume has increased by more than one-third in the past year. In previous interviews, Chief Ken Lewis has stated the department expects to answer 3,000 calls for service by the end of the year.The measure’s failure means the department will likely be unable to provide round-the-clock police coverage unless other funds can be found. Lewis and Reagles could not be reached for comment at press time. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail Poor turnout kills levy ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s