Document text
CLEAR Temp: 62 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, June 5, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend May 21, 2003 Phoenix levy fails for lack of votes It would have paid for police and fire service By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Phoenix residents favored a levy to pay for police and fire department services, but too few voters marked their ballots to pass the funding measure. Preliminary results from the Jackson County elections office showed 40.6 percent of Phoenix’s registered voters turned out and 57.5 percent of those voters supported the levy. For approval of a tax measure in a non-general election, Oregon requires at least 50 percent of registered voters to cast a ballot and the majority of those must be "yes" votes. The levy would have replaced one that will expire in June 2004 and a bond measure that will be paid off in June. It would have added 55 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the current public safety levy of $2.30 per $1,000. Advertisement The funds would have enabled the city to maintain its current staffing levels in the police and fire departments and continue to provide 24-hour coverage, levy supporters said. It also would have provided updated equipment to police and firefighters. The same proposal was defeated by just 10 votes in November. In last fall’s election, the levy appeared to be headed for victory in early results, but ultimately failed. City officials held a slim hope for a rally into the night Tuesday. "We’ve got our fingers crossed, our toes crossed, our legs crossed, our eyes crossed, but this is a big hurdle," said Don Walker, city administrator. Between 200 and 300 last-minute ballots were needed to push returns to 50 percent, he said. "That double majority is a killer," Walker said. Phoenix Fire Chief David Tucker said levy supporters ran a phone campaign to encourage people to get their ballots in, but it apparently wasn’t enough. He was buoyed, however, that support seemed strong among those who voted. If the measure fails, the City Council will decide whether to put the funding question to voters again this fall, Walker said. "I hope we as a state look at what (anti-tax activist Bill) Sizemore has done to public services and see if it’s really what we want," he said. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times