The Lane County primary election on May 21 will allow those who are registered to vote by April 30 to address federal, state, county, and city offices as well as a handful of measures.
House Districts: District 7 has republican Cory Burket and democrats John Lively, current representative, and Ryan Rhoads as its candidates. District 8 will put democrats Lisa Fragala and Doyle Canning against each other as there are no republican candidates for this district and current representative Paul Holvey is not in the race. House District 12 has republicans Charlie Conrad, current representative, and Darin Harbick going for the seat.
District Attorney: There are two candidates to be Lane County’s district attorney: Christopher Parosa and James Cleavenger.
Lane County Board: Pat Farr – current commissioner for District 4, North Eugene – is running against Zach Mulholland for a four-year term, and Laurie Trieger – current board president and District 3, South Eugene, commissioner – is up against Grace Widdicombe.
City of Springfield: Springfield’s mayor and three councilors are up for election this year. Mayor Sean VanGordon is running unopposed, and so are current councilors Kori Rodley (ward 3) and Beth Blackwell (ward 4). Ward 6’s Joe Pishioneri, current council president, is not on the ballot. Instead, Alan Stout is the sole candidate for this seat.
City Bond Funding: The Cities of Springfield and Eugene have both proposed measures which would authorize bond funding.
Springfield’s Measure 20-351 asks voters to allow the City to issue $20 million in general obligation bonds to fix deteriorating streets. Six streets have been selected and included in the measure; these streets would be fixed first if this measure is approved.
The City of Springfield expects to levy taxes for five years to repay bonds. The estimated rate is $0.74 per $1,000 of assessed value which is about $135/year ($11.25/month) for the average Springfield homeowner.
Eugene’s Measure No. 20-358 would allow the City to contribute funds toward the Lane County multi-use stadium at the Lane County Fairgrounds using $15 million of general obligation bonds. If approved, proceeds from the bonds’ sale will fund a portion of the stadium’s total capital costs, which are estimated at $90 million. The stadium would function as the Eugene Emeralds’ home baseball stadium. The County would own the stadium and lease it to the Emeralds. The estimated rate is $0.08/$1,000 of assessed value per year for 20 years, and the cost to the average Eugene homeowner would be about $22/year.
School districts: Fern Ridge School District 28J is proposing Measure 20-354 to issue up to $16,115,000 in bonds, which would allow it to receive a $6 million state grant. Funds would finance capital costs at Elmira High School, Fern Ridge Middle School, Elmira Elementary School, and Veneta Elementary School; they would also allow for sports field improvements, restroom repair, and site improvements. The estimated overall combined bond annual tax rate would be $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Junction City School District 69’s Measure 20-355 is asking to issue $59,070,000 in bonds to improve safety and learning as well as update schools and athletic facilities. If this measure passes, the district will receive a state grant of $3.9 million and may also receive an additional $2.1 million grant. The district’s bond tax rate is expected to increase from the current rate of $1.48/$1,000 of assessed value to an estimated total district bond tax rate of $2.69/$1,000 of assessed value if the measure passes.
Fire districts: McKenzie Fire & Rescue is asking voters to consider Measure 20-356, which would replace the current levy passed by voters in 2018 that expires in 2025 with a five-year operation levy at $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed value. The measure may cause property taxes to increase more than 3%. Tax revenue from this measure would allow for McKenzie Fire & Rescue to continue to operate at its present level of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Mohawk Valley Rural Fire District’s Measure 20-353 would authorize the district to levy taxes to support the annual cost of fire and emergency medical services, including an additional two new employees and the establishment of a student recruitment and training program while expanding 24/7 coverage. The measure would allow for a local option operating levy at a rate not to exceed $0.60 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value within the district for five years, beginning July 1. The estimated revenue over five years is $1,399,148. The levy is estimated to cost approximately $240/year.
Measure 20-350 would allow the Row River Rural Fire Protection District to form a permanent tax rate of $2.40/$1,000 of assessed value which would allow for the new district to serve a currently underserved area with emergency medical and fire protection services.
