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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 Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... MEDFORD Senate bill tabled after Medford officials object Bates agrees to alter bill to help attract industry to Medford Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Sen. Alan Bates has placed a bill on the back burner after Medford officials opposed it because it could hinder their ability to annex more industrial land into city limits. Senate Bill 931, co-sponsored by Rep. Sal Esquivel, R-Medford, would have continued a 2005 law that provided a 10-year window in which industrial properties couldn’t be annexed into a city. Timber Products, Boise Cascade and Harry & David have expressed concern that annexation would require paying additional taxes. Medford city councilors say they wouldn’t support annexation at this time because of concerns that the financial impact on the large corporations could jeopardize family-wage jobs even though it would have brought an additional $510,000 in property taxes to the city. Other fees and taxes that the city could impose if they were annexed could bring the total annual revenues to more than $800,000, according to estimates made by city staff. At the same time, fire districts and other independent governmental districts could lose more than $100,000 annually if the properties were annexed into the city. “These are absolutely shocking numbers to me,” Councilor Dick Gordon said at a recent council meeting. Earlier this month, Medford City Council passed a resolution opposing SB 931. Councilors called Bates to see whether there was any way to stop the bill. “The city opposes 931 because it takes control away from the city,” Councilor Kevin Stine said. Instead, the city wants the ability to annex these properties if it becomes more favorable for these companies to do so, Stine said. “We don’t want to annex these companies, but we do want the opportunity in the future to at least negotiate with them,” he said. Bates said the original law was designed to protect large companies from excessive taxation, which might force some of them out of the state. Companies such as Nike and Intel enjoy similar protections in the northern part of the state, he said. Companies in the White City area were concerned they would have to pay higher taxes if that city did in fact incorporate, Bates said. In Medford, the issue is somewhat more complex. Under land-use laws, if Medford wants to expand its industrial land base, it would first have to take in industrially zoned properties that are just outside its boundaries. To avoid having to bring in Harry & David and these other companies, Bates said he would alter the language in SB 931 to allow Medford to take in more light and medium industrial land than it is currently allotted under an urban growth boundary expansion. Medford officials told Bates they know of other companies that want to locate in the city, and Medford needs more land to provide the flexibility to attract these businesses. Bates said he would meet with officials from Medford, Grants Pass and Ashland over the next year to come up with the best language that protects business while being mindful of the interests of the cities involved. He said he would attempt to have the new version of SB 931 ready for the 2016 legislative session.  Esquivel said he was surprised at the negative reaction to SB 931 by the city of Medford. “It doesn’t do a thing for them,” he said. “We just looked at removing the sunset.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 20, 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... 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