SPRINGFIELD – Voters can expect to see Willamalane’s first-ever property tax increase on this year’s ballot in May.
Willamalane Park and Recreation District was created by voters in 1944. Today, it maintains and operates recreation facilities, community centers, pools, parks, trails, and natural areas, offering over 500 programs annually for residents of all ages.
As a special tax district – separate from the City of Springfield – 70% of its operating budget comes from collecting property taxes from Springfield residents within the Willamalane tax boundary. The tax rate of $2.0074 per $1,000 of property value hasn’t increased since the organization’s inception.
Michael Wargo, Willamalane’s executive director, said the increase is in line with the organization’s five-year plan and would be temporary.
“We want to make sure that at the end of those five years, we have an adequate amount in our reserves to make sure that Willamalane will continue on and be good stewards of public dollars,” Wargo said. “The wages that we pay for our staff, the goods, services, construction costs, and a number of different factors, those costs are outpacing our ability to collect revenue. We would have to start charging more for our rates and fees, which we don’t feel is fair to the hard-working people of Springfield, because we want to have affordable programs and services,” he said.
The proposed levy would cost taxpayers an additional 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value. According to marketing and communications manager Whitney Hoshaw, the median assessed home value within the current district boundary is $196,803. An estimated impact on the average taxpayer would be $49.20 annually, or around $4.10 per month.
“We feel like it’s a modest increase that would help us realize about an additional $1.5 million a year, which would close a lot of that budget gap that we’re projecting out in the three to five years,” Wargo said.
The levy is proposed for a five-year term and would revert to the original rate thereafter.
“I don’t know if we would be able to continue our level of service if this levy doesn’t get passed,” Wargo said.
He said the two aquatic centers, the Adult Activity Center, and the 100,000-square-foot recreation center at the Bob Keefer Center might face reduced hours of operation if the levy does not pass, because the district would not be able to afford maintenance, operations, and staffing.
Wargo said that last year, the District issued over 640 W2 forms for its employees.
“We love our staff. They do an unbelievable job, but we just simply would not be able to maintain that level of staffing if the economic trends continue,” he said.
In preparation for the proposed tax, Wargo said the District hired a national polling and survey group through the Trust for Public Land to gauge the community’s stance.
“That really gave us an idea of what the appetite might be for an increase,” he said. According to the results of the survey, around 54%-58% of the public would support an increase.
“The biggest thing that we heard back was that 86% of everyone that they spoke to said they had a favorable opinion of Willamalane and what we do. They (TPL) said that was one of the highest percentages they have ever polled throughout the entire nation. I really feel that the job that we’re doing for our public is resonating. I think we make Springfield a better place to live, work, and play, and we just want to make sure that we’re going to be able to continue to do that for many, many years to come,” Wargo said.
Voters in May will see contested races for Lane County Commissioners and State Representatives.
South Lane candidates
East Lane County Commissioner: Voters in Cottage Grove and Creswell will be asked to consider incumbent Heather Buch, Jake Pelroy, or Bob Zybach for the East Lane County Commissioner seat.
- Buch has served as East Lane County Commissioner since 2019, during which time she has also served as chair. A resident of Eugene, she has a background as a small-business owner and previously served as the special projects director for St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County. Buch is a graduate of Seattle University.
- Pelroy, a former Marine, policy analyst, and trash hauler, currently serves as the President of the Lane County Garbage and Recycling Association. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and resides in Eugene. Pelroy has been involved in several political campaigns, including Republican Darin Harbick’s 2024 campaign for State Representative in District 12.
- Zybach, a resident of Cottage Grove, is campaigning for the first time. A researcher and author, Zybach graduated from Oregon State University and has previously worked as a reforestation contractor and educator.
State Rep.: Former District 12 State Rep. Charlie Conrad on Jan. 16 announced he’s taking another run at the seat. Conrad assumed office in 2023 as a member of the Republican Party. He ran for re-election to the House but lost in the May 2024 primary to Harbick, a Republican and the current representative for District 12, who is also planning to run for re-election. In 2024, Conrad announced that he would leave the Republican Party and change his party registration to the Independent Party of Oregon. No Democrats have applied for the position so far.
Springfield candidates
Lane County Commissioner Position 2: Voters in Springfield will be asked to vote for incumbent Dave Loveall or Sean VanGordon, the current mayor, for the Springfield Commissioner seat.
District 7 State Rep.: With longtime State Rep. John Lively retiring after 14 years, Democrats Ky Fireside, Kori Rodley, and Republican Adam Wilson will run for the seat.
- Fireside is a graduate of the University of Oregon and works as an archaeologist; previously, they worked as a 911 dispatcher and were a unionizing Starbucks barista. Fireside is campaigning on workers’ rights, healthcare, and human rights, and cofounded the Eyes off Eugene advocacy group, which has most recently been outspoken about the now-deactivated Flock cameras in Springfield and Eugene.
- Rodley serves as a Springfield City Councilor, having been elected twice since 2020. She works in planning, administration, and developmental disabilities services. She attended Portland Community College, Lane Community College, and the University of Oregon, and has also served on the Springfield Utility Board and the Springfield City Budget Committee, and as the chair of the Lane County Equity and Access Board.
- Wilson is a graduate of Siuslaw High, Lane Community College, and Northwest Christian University. He works as a wealth advisor for LPL Financial, according to his application, and has previously worked as a banker and a technician for companies such as Les Schwab and Pape Group.
