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M/CLOUDY Temp: 50 °F Wind: W at 9 mph Tuesday, April 1, 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 March 27, 2003 Historical Society offers to end funding dispute By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune In a spirit of compromise, the Southern Oregon Historical Society has proposed a settlement with Jackson County to end an ongoing legal dispute over funding. John Enders, society executive director, said the stakes are high if either side loses in the courts. "If the county loses, a whole lot of money will come out of its general fund," he said. "If we lose, that will mean most of our funding is wiped out." The historical society proposes divvying up the $3.3 million that it says it’s entitled to from a 54-year-old property tax levy. However, the county says the historical society entitlement was wiped out after the passage of Measure 50, a 1997 initiative that required the consolidation of levies. A lawsuit filed by the historical society is now in the state Court of Appeals. Enders said the proposal would guarantee the historical society $1 million. The remaining $2.3 million would be divided evenly between the county and other historical societies in Jackson County. "This is a sharing formula that would allow the historical society to survive," said Enders. "We’re the only county (in the state) where the county commission is slicing away at our funds." The historical society and the county have been at odds for many years, something that might have a bearing on the current situation, he said. "My goal is to put an end to the antagonistic relationship between the county and historical society," said Enders. "There is an eight-year-old grudge and it is a very personal grudge and it has no place in this." County Commissioner Jack Walker said he doesn’t think it is a grudge so much as frustration. "Sure, there was some ill feelings on the part of the historical society from 1995 when I demanded a new roof on the courthouse," said Walker, who noted he was a member of the historical society. Walker said he was appalled that the roof on the historical courthouse building in Medford was leaking, allowing water to run down the walls, while the county continued to provide substantial funding to the society. The building is not maintained by the society and is used for county offices. In 1998, the society had a budget of $2 million, but today it has $1.46 million. The county is proposing cutting the society’s share of funding by $500,000 in the next two years to help preserve other programs like health services, which Walker said is more vital to the community. Walker said the law is on the side of the county. Any compromise, he said, "would have to change the whole state interpretation of what the people voted for." The county has argued that other historical societies throughout the state operate on far less than Jackson County’s. However, the local historical society operates and maintains 11 buildings, including Hanley Farm in Central Point and the Jacksonville Museum, Beekman House and Beekman Bank in Jacksonville. County Commissioner Dave Gilmour, who hasn’t had a chance to review the compromise proposal, hoped the ongoing grudge wouldn’t have any bearing on the ability to end this legal dispute. He said the county mustn’t be shortsighted in its support for the historical society, which maintains many of the buildings that are owned by the county. Besides the historical significance of many of the buildings, as well as the artifacts that are still being collected, Gilmour said the historical society is one more reason people visit this county. "In Jacksonville, a considerable amount of tourists go to all the historical buildings and the museum," he said. "You can’t put a number on something that’s intangible like that." Gilmour said some sort of compromise plan needs to be worked out to preserve these county assets. Otherwise, he said, "It means basically that the historical society as it now stands ceases to exist." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] 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 Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S