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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 Boyfriend gets jail, probation in child-scalding case ... Library officials want to break free of contract with private firm ... Medford's weed and grass ordinance goes into effect June 1 ... Boyfriend gets jail, probation in child-scalding case ... Library officials want to break free of contract with private firm ... Medford's weed and grass ordinance goes into effect June 1 ... PRIMARY ELECTION President's race helped pass tax measures Comment By Cathy Noah MailTribune.com By Cathy Noah Posted May. 18, 2016 at 5:54 PM By Cathy Noah Posted May. 18, 2016 at 5:54 PM » Social News The two Jackson County money measures that passed in Tuesday's election may have Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton to thank. The neck-and-neck race between Sanders and Clinton for Oregon delegates made for a more exciting primary for Democratic voters, who tend to open their wallets more freely for tax measures that benefit public programs. Republicans, on the other hand, already knew Donald Trump was the presumptive presidential nominee after John Kasich and Ted Cruz suspended their campaigns, and that may have kept some from turning in their ballots at all. "The presidential election is really driving this wagon in the primary," says Ashland resident Cathy Shaw, who's been analyzing Jackson County voter trends for 30 years. Local results show 45.9 percent of the 64,400 registered voters in Jackson County who cast their ballots were Democrat, compared to 41.1 percent Republican, even though Republicans maintain a slight edge over Democrats in registered voters overall (36 percent to 35 percent). A bond measure to raise $20 million to help Rogue Community College bolster health- and technology-related programs passed 55.7 to 44.3 percent in Jackson County, and a five-year levy that would provide Rogue Valley Transportation District with an extra $1.78 million a year to add bus routes and restore Saturday service passed 61.4 to 38.6 percent. "These were two quiet campaigns that happened to have the planets line up for them," Shaw says, though quickly adding both offered the public solid economic benefits. RCC's programs will provide better-trained workers for local businesses, leading to economic development, and added bus service will help workers and students get to their jobs and schools, she says. RCC outgoing President Peter Angstadt said the college's first step is to get businesses, students and staff together to help determine the most effective and cost-efficient way to provide the training that will produce workers local employers need. Some of the projects will include remodeling and upgrading the high-tech center on the Table Rock campus, a 30-year-old science building in Grants Pass and a building housing laboratories behind the Medford library. Angstadt says he believes voters saw how the bond would benefit Southern Oregon's economy. "Our message has been, for a small investment, we can help the region grow," Angstadt says. "... People believe RCC can help create a better economy." The measure failed in Josephine County, where Angstadt lives. He says he's been accused of being too frugal sometimes, but in that county, "there are some people who can out-frugal me." He believes people in Josephine County "will see just this nickel everyone is investing (per $1,000 of assessed value) is going to pay off with great results." Julie Brown, general manager of Rogue Valley Transportation District, says when her staff first heard the election results Tuesday night, "we sat there in stunned silence." "It's been needed for so long, we're just thrilled," says Brown, who notes this was the fourth attempt to get a levy passed for RVTD. Brown expects to roll out restored bus service in July, starting with half-hour service on Route 24 to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and hourly service on Saturdays for all routes from about 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. By September, she hopes to start 20-minute service on Route 10 from Medford to Ashland, which currently runs every half hour and has resulted in full buses that force some people to wait for the next bus. She also hopes to eventually provide routes in southwest Medford for high school students to get to college campuses in Medford and Ashland in a program that allows them to get their first year of college under their belts before they graduate. She says a groundswell of support by businesses and local residents who depend on the bus to get to their jobs helped pass the levy. When Saturday service ended because of budget cuts, she heard over and over from people who lost their jobs because they had no way to get to work. "I'm just thrilled. This is going to boost our economy in Southern Oregon," Brown says. Reach Mail Tribune Digital Editor Cathy Noah at 541-776-4473 or by email at [email protected]. By Cathy Noah MailTribune.com By Cathy Noah Posted May. 18, 2016 at 5:54 PM » 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... 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