Mayor's race, three measures on the ballot in Jacksonville - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Mayor's race, three measures on the ballot in Jacksonville Wednesday Sep 7, 2016 at 12:01 AM Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Voters will be asked in November to choose a mayor and say yea or nay to measures banning marijuana processing and sales and adopting a new city charter. Three candidates have filed for three at-large, four-year council terms. Incumbent Mayor Paul Becker is being challenged in the Nov. 8 election for the four-year term by City Councilor Jocie Wall. In Jacksonville the mayor is allowed to vote on all issues. In other local municipalities mayors usually vote only to break ties. While other local cities are asking voters whether to approve taxes on recreational marijuana sales, Jacksonville has two measures that would prohibit retail activity. State law allows the sales but permits city councils to ask voters to prohibit the establishment of licensed marijuana activities. Passage of either measure would make the city ineligible to receive distributions of state marijuana tax revenues. Measure 15-142 would prohibit recreational marijuana production, processing, wholesale and retail facilities in town. Measure 15-143 prohibits medical marijuana processors and dispensaries in the city limits. A new charter would replace one adopted in 1953 that has been amended over the years. An advisory committee drafted proposed changes base on a model prepared by the League of Oregon Cities. Basic provisions such as the council and mayoral elections and terms are carried over from the current document. Becker was appointed to the mayor’s post in January 2011 and elected to it in 2012 when he defeated former mayor Jim Lewis. Becker championed conversion of the 1883 Jackson County Courthouse into City Hall, a project that was completed in July. Wall was elected to the council in 2012, beating out three other candidates to claim one of three open seats. She has at times been in the minority casting dissenting votes on city issues. Incumbent councilors David Jesser and Cris Garcia, both elected in 2012, have filed for re-election. Jesser is a local business owner and real estate agent first appointed to the council in 2011. Garcia works in information technology. Steve Casaleggio is also seeking a council seat. He is a retired attorney who helped lead the Boosters Club’s effort to restore the Peter Britt Gardens. He served on the committee that developed the proposed new charter. — Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].