LANE COUNTY – Voters in Lane County had the option to vote on various levies and measures, including for South Lane County Fire and Rescue, Willamalane Park and Recreation District, and the Watersheds Bill of Rights in the May 19 primary election.

As of May 25, around 123,000 ballots have been counted, representing about 43% of over 285,000 active registered voters. Election results are unofficial until the election is certified, which is expected by June 15.

According to Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, early results indicate strong voter turnout, with the number of ballots received by county elections offices tracking ahead of both the 2022 and ’24 primary elections. This election was the first primary in Oregon’s history with more than 3 million registered voters.

South Lane County Fire & Rescue

Like a bad case of deja vu for South Lane firefighters, unofficial results indicate that Measure #20-383 will fail, with nearly 53% of voters rejecting South Lane County Fire and Rescue’s five-year local option tax levy.

The majority vote is similar to the November 2025 Special Election, where nearly 54% rejected the same measure.

“The failure of the levy will impact the level of our current operations and more information about those changes can be found on our website,” said Stephen Beach, SLCFR captain.

This time, however, 2,630 more votes – and still counting – were cast for this measure than in last year’s special election.

“It’s unfortunate that the voters in our district did not support the levy. We understand the incredible financial strain that many in our community are facing, and that may have had a large impact on the voter’s decision,” Beach said.

SLCFR has one of the lowest permanent tax rates in the state. The current levy, passed in 2012 and renewed in ’17 and ’22, expires in ’27. Serving a 132-square-mile fire district and an 800-square-mile ambulance service, SLCFR assists 33,000 people with an average of five personnel on duty each day, handling 15 to 30 calls daily, said Fire Chief John Wooten.

Wooten has said expects to cut one ambulance serving both Creswell and Cottage Grove on July 1 to maintain two firefighters on a fire engine.

SLCFR recently updated its website to include a brief presentation that outlines the service cuts and reductions being implemented by the fire district at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2026, due to the failure of levy. The District will rotate one staffed ambulance between the Cottage Grove and Creswell stations every other day.

People can also expect FireMed services to be reduced. The annual rate will increase from $65 per year to $95 per year beginning July 1, and the terms of service will likely be changed, reducing the program benefits. The District’s Board of Directors will consider terminating the program.

The levy was intended to pay for six new full-time positions and one apprentice for the District. It would have replaced the existing levy with a new rate of 94 cents per $1,000 of property value, an increase of 47 cents.

Willamalane

Unofficial ballot results on May 26 show the levy passing by 475 votes for Measure #20-384, a five-year levy to preserve park safety, recreation, and ongoing maintenance at Willamalane.

“Willamalane fully understands and appreciates how important our financial responsibility is to this community and public agencies,” said Michael Wargo, executive director.

In a statement released last Wednesday, Willamalane leaders announced that upcoming budget meetings have been postponed until June. If the levy fails, the district will need to cut about $1.7 million in services, despite already making about $1 million in budget cuts last year.

During an interview in January, Wargo said 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.

“Regardless of the final outcome, Willamalane will be ready with the appropriate budget which matches available funding as dictated by our community,” Wargo said.

The proposed levy would add 25 cents for every $1,000 of assessed home value.

Watersheds

Measure #20-373, or the “Watersheds Bill of Rights” measure, might be a complete loss, with nearly 62% rejecting it.

Chief petitioners of the ballot initiative acknowledged the results on May 20 in a statement saying the results are “disappointing” but predictable given how much their big-business-backed opponents outspent them.

Proponents of the measure argued it would enable community voting on stronger protections for local watersheds and clean water. However, others were concerned about potential consequences, including lawsuits against residents, businesses, and government agencies.

Check the live status of election results at results.oregonvotes.gov.