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Ashland's activities levy OK'd Voter turnout was 57 percent By JESSICA SMITH Ashland voters stepped in Tuesday to rescue the school district from a budget shortfall, once again approving a youth activities levy. By 9 p.m. Tuesday, 57 percent of the city's voters had returned their ballots. According to preliminary election results from Jackson County Clerk's Office, 60 percent of the voters supported the levy; 40 percent voted against it. "We were really sweating it out here," said Amy Amrhein, Ashland Youth Activities Levy Committee co-chairwoman. "We were expecting the results to be much closer. "We're just really grateful people got the message and that they supported the kids," she added. The levy's passage -- the third time since 1994 -- means the school district won't be forced to choose between academics and extra-curricular activities, supporters say. "If it hadn't passed, there would have been a $1.5 million hole in the school budget that we would have had to fill," Amrhein said. Instead, Ashland voters have agreed to pay another $1.38 per thousand of assessed property value in property taxes. Owners pay 95 cents per thousand for the current levy, which expires this year. Ashland voters approved the youth levy first in 1994 for $970,000 to offset a shortfall in school funding following passage of the state property tax limitation adopted in 1990. At the time, the school district was forced to cut the property tax rates from $16 per $1,000 of assessed property value to just $5. Voters approved a second, three-year levy in 1997, giving the school district another $1.1 million. With the increased assessments under the levy, Ashland city property owners are expected to pay $1,694,000 in taxes for the city's schools. The levy will bring in another $1,779,000 in its second year and $1,717,000 in 2002-2003. The levy currently funds facility maintenance and a variety of activities, including music, language, newspaper, yearbook, debate, drama and sports. Most of the funds go to sports programs at Ashland High School. In addition to those programs, music and physical education classes at the elementary schools will be funded by the new levy. Despite having raised questions over how the school district distributes funds, Gregg Howe, an Ashland business man and club soccer coach, said he's pleased the levy passed. "I'm like the rest of the town, I'm really supportive of the schools," Howe said. "I'm glad they got the money." The city will begin looking soon for applicants to fill three positions on a new committee that will review how levy funds are distributed. The committee was prompted by concerns raised by Howe and others. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA