ELECTIONS Voters pass property tax limits, reject private school tax credits By Robert Ward Emerald Editorial Editor With 73 percent of the precincts counted. Bal lot Measure 5. a constitutional amendment that would set property tax limitations in increments over the next five years, was passing 52 percent to 4H percent. Property taxes help fund many basic services including schools, police and fire departments, libraries, parks, ambulance service and road re pairs. State Sen. Grattan kerans said replacing the lost revenue Measure 5 takes away will Ire the Legislature's number one priority. "We have to find a fair and progressive solu tion to the problems" the passage of Measure 5 presents, he said. Al and Mary Bradley, retired homeowners in Eugene, said they voted for Measure 5 because they "are sick and tired of being taxed to death The Legislature can make it up through higher in come taxes or a sales tax. Don't penalize home owners.” Kerens said a sales tax is one avenue the Legis lature will explore, but Oregon voters have con sistently opposed it School funding is a big concern of opponents of Measure 5. Uirrv VVarford, assistant to the pres ident at I,ane Community College, said the pas sage of Measure 5 could result in a $5 million to $(> million cutback at LCC over the next five years. Besides the school funding issue, Kerens said he is concerned about funding for programs such as Adult and Family Services, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and the Children's Services Divi sion. "We must be careful not to put all our eggs in one basket.” he said The slate can't relv on any one tax or revenue source to make up the lost monies because of Measure 5, he said Under Measure 5. school-related taxes would (>e slashed from the current levels of about $20 per S1 .(MM) of assessed property value to $5 per St.(too by 1095. Non-school taxes, mostly mu nicipalities. counties and utilities, would In- im mediately limited to a total of $10 per $1,000 The Legislature is required to make up the lost school revenue from Measure 5, hut only for the first five years It does not have to make up the lost revenue of cities, counties and non-taxing school districts This is the sixth property tax limitation meas ure in the past 12 years. Ballot Measure It, which would permit par ents to choose which public school their children attend, was failing 70 percent to .10 percent with 85 percent of the precincts reporting. The meas ure would also allow families tax credits for send ing their children to non-publit schools Mary Wilson, a proponent of Measure 11. said parents should be able to send their kids "to a good school, instead of letting the state (let ide for them. However, according to Sam Drin ker. Measure It would "allow parents to send their kids to re tig ions schools, which raises the (issue of) separa tion of church and state He said Oregonians clearly believe Measure I 1 would divide si hools into "good and bad But Wilson said schools are already that way so parents should tie allowed to send their children to good schools Hallo! Measure 2 would amend the constitu tion to allow school districts that merge to com bine their tax liases without adding an automatic (i percent This measure was referred to the voters by the Legislature without any opposition Mens lire I 1 was leading with H5 percent of the pre cincts reporting f>5 peri out to .ITi percent Seat belt, workfare measures pass By Daralyn Trappe t meiaId Reporter All Oregonians will be re quired to buckle up beginning Dec 7 as a result of of the pas sage of Ballot Measure tt The measure was passing TO percent to 47 percent, with 7:t percent of the statewide vote counted The law will require all driv ers over the age of Mi to wear safety (rolls and to secure pas sengers under the age of lti in a safety belt or child seat. All passengers over the age lti will be required to secure them selves. I he measure also requires car owners to keep safety belts in working order. Drivers, owners or passengers who violate the law will be subject to Class I) traffic infractions. Privately owned commercial vehicles and other vehicles not required to have safety belts will be exempt, as will people who are issued a certificate of exemption. "We expect this will save thousands of Oregonians from disabling injuries," said John Tongue of the Oregon Lifebelt Political Action Committee, "it's a very important public safety issue — it's rational and reasonable." Oregonians rejected a similar referendum two years ago. "I think it passed because of the volunteer efforts of over 2.000 people in the medical community,” Tongue said Measure 7. whi( h appeared In tie passing late Tuesday night, will establish a work program in which re< ipienls o! government-funded wages such as welfare and unemploy ment benefits will he re quired to work at jobs paying ‘id percent of minimum wage in lieu of those benefits. The three-year pilot program will be set up in three counties, to l>e determined at a later date, if it receives federal approval. With 73 percent of the vote counted, the measure was pass ing ,ri7 percent to 43 percent. •‘It's too bad that people don't really understand what it does,” said Anne Taliaferro of the No on 7 Committee No one from the proponent group, Oregonians for Full Em ployment, was available for comment. Measure 3, which would have granted a tax exemption for members of the Public Em ployees Retirement System, was being defeated tit) percent to 40 percent with 73 percent of the ballots tallied. “I think the reason it's not passing is because it's confus ing." said supporter Jack So 11 is. "The explanation is confusing, and anything that confuses voters, they’ll turn down." C.H. Buehler. of the opposi tion group Citizens for Tax Fat uity. said he believes the meas ure did not pass because it would have established an un fair lax system "This sends a message to the Legislature that they need to cornu u|> with something (tetter a lair tax system lor .ill em ployees. public and private." Huehler said The defeat of this measure, however, could force the state to refund S.ili million a year to federal employees. As of late Tuesday night. Measure 1 was still too close to call, with 52 percent in favor and 4H opposed after 7'A per cent of the votes were tab ulated The measure would grant metropolitan service district electors the right to self gover nance over metropolitan mat ters Greg Me Mur do, of the proponent group Committee for Self-Governance, said he was not surprised by how close the vote was given the fact that it only affects districts in the Portland area "People can't figure it out." McMurdo said. "You have peo ple voting statewide on an is sue that doesn't affect them." If it passes, voters in the dis tricts will be allowed to estab lish their own charter, revise and amend it. The governance of these areas "should Ire up to the vot ers of these districts rather than the state legislature.” he said WEDNESDAY IS COLLEGE BUDGET NIGHT AT snsvivs 25c Beer & 75c Well Drinks FREE SNACKS TOO!!! 343-4734 • 2222 Centennial Blvd • Eugene r, 27 years of Quality Service' GERMAN AUTO SERVICE, INC. Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagon Audi • Datsun • Toyota 10% diSCOUnt to U of O students on all repairs. Offer good Ihrough I2/3W90 2025 Franklin Blvd 342-2912 Eugene. Oregon 97403 Oregon DAILY EMERALD PO H..» U