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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2007)
Page 13 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 17, 2007 State rating for finance improved Commissioner Dave Toler addresses crowd. (Photo by Michelle Binker, IVN) Options explored to aid county funding Commissioners conduct public forum for Illinois Valley to outline ideas By MICHELLE BINKER IVN Staff Writer Josephine County com- missioners and other elected officials held an informa- tional meeting in Cave Junc- tion Thursday night, Oct. 11 to discuss possible loss of federal safety net funds. Commissioners Dwight Ellis, Jim Raffenburg and Dave Toler; District Attor- ney Steve Campbell, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson, John Harrle- son, county treasurer, and some 60 citizens attended the meeting at Lorna Byrne Middle School. Toler outlined the situa- tion facing the county, and presented some of the op- tions available. “We’re going all over the county to talk about how to address the issue of losing safety net funding,” Toler said. The 30-minute presen- tation is titled, “Insuring Our Future: Options to Replace Federal Safety Net O&C Funding.” It touched on the historical prominence of O&C timber revenues and subsequent safety net mon- ies for county funding. As result, Josephine County has the lowest per- manent property tax rate in Oregon. Approximately $6 per month is median as- sessed value. Without replacement of Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act funds, 64 percent of the county’s gen- eral fund will be lost, Toler said. Many ideas which had been brought to the commis- sioners were outlined. Some, such as an income tax, are not legally viable options for the county by state statute or county char- ter. Some legally viable op- tions, such as a gasoline or bed taxes, were limited by how funds could be used. Among the options seen as most useful are two ver- sions of a property tax levy, formation of two criminal justice tax districts, or a 2 percent consumption tax. The larger, three-year tax levy, approximately $2.49 per $1,000 assessed value, would fully replace the O&C funds. The other option, a two-year, $1.25 per $1,000 assessed value plan, would require spend- ing all the county’s reserves to make up the budget. A 2 percent consump- tion tax on all retail sales would raise an estimated $17.6 million. Trading one Water Wells Pump Sales Installation Service 592-6777 1470 Caves Highway Licensed • Bonded • Insured Locally owned and operated in the valley for over 25 years. WWC #1504 • CCB #152266 • CPl #7-113 Member Oregon Ground Water Assoc. Don’t drink and drive. The life you save could be your own. tax for another, Toler said, would result in property taxes decreasing under this option, and county services would be fully funded. “At this point we have no position on any of these,” Toler said. “We are present- ing these options to you. We’re hoping you will help us decide which direction we should go, should we need to go in that direction.” Other than one brief exchange, there were no temper flares; the crowd was attentive and polite. Through cost-cutting and instituting user fees, the county has managed to save some $9.2 million, Toler indicated. Fewer county employees, reduced em- ployee costs and transfer of some programs have con- tributed to the savings. Toler stated that the planning department, fair- grounds and parks are now self-sufficient, independent of the general fund, due to user fees. Severe reductions in the criminal justice system are expected if county funding is not reinstated. “We know the safety net funding is going away,” Toler said. “The question is, ‘When’?” Orthotics gain notes devices According to the American Orthotic & Pros- thetic Association, between 2003 and 2005 the total Medicare expenditures for orthotic and prosthetic care declined while the number of devices provided to pa- tients increased. For more information, visit www.AOPAnet.org. (NAPSA) Wall Street now is rec- ognizing the state’s extended efforts to get its financial house in order, State Treas- urer Randall Edwards told Oregon legislators during a joint meeting of the House and Senate Revenue Com- mittees. The treasurer delivered the good news that the nation’s three credit rating agencies had upgraded or modified their outlook on Oregon’s bonds. Moody's Investors Ser- vices raised the state’s $4.3 billion in general obligation bond rating to Aa2 from Aa3. Standard & Poor’s followed by upgrading its rating to AA from AA-. And Fitch Ratings changed its assessment of Oregon bonds to a “positive outlook.” Edwards said that the credit rating upgrades are the fruit of a unified effort, including state pension man- agers, the treasurer’s staff, the governor, and the Legislature. “Receiving these rating upgrades is a tremendous accomplishment considering the financial crisis we weathered just five years ago,” said Edwards. “It is something in which all Ore- gonians should take pride.” Moody’s and Standard & Poor cited multiple rea- sons for the upgrades of the state’s credit rating, including: *The state’s strong fi- nancial controol. *The Rainy Day Fund established through a tem- porary suspension of the corporate kicker. *Favorable funding ratios in the state’s retire- ment system. *The state’s manage- able debt burden. Oregon also received upgrades for its certificates of participation and the Oregon School Bond Guaranty program, which will reduce the interest cost on bonds sold by state school districts. While the state treasurer believes that all who con- tributed to the bond up- grades deserve to celebrate, he noted that the rating agencies still are concerned about Oregon’s tax structure and political climate. The agencies’ financial analysis reports expressed unease regarding the state’s unusu- ally high reliance on the volatile personal income tax, the personal and corporate “kickers,” and an active voter-initiative process. FREE A pond is being dug off Rockydale (Photo by I.V. News) Pond by Barlow permitted (Continued from page 9) the operation is in fact a mining operation. There also have been unsubstantiated allegations of threats and intimidation attempts on both sides of the issue. A recent trip to the site by I.V. News seems to sub- stantiate Barlow’s claim that it is only digging a large pond adjacent to an alfalfa field. (see photo). But Toler said that another planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at which time he says he will have questions for Snider. Fine Dining Steaks - Chicken - Fish - Large Hamburgers Restaurant separate from lounge Now Available Every Day! Prime Rib & Prime Rib Sandwiches Open 4 to 9 p.m. 7 days 592-2892 or 592-4222 Come HOME to W hispering P ines Retirement Village ❧ Room and board in one great price. ❧ Three home-cooked meals served in our dining room overlooking the lovely valley below. ❧ Indoor pool, Jacuzzi, exercise room, paved walking trail. ❧ Close to town, hospital & Hwy. 199. ❧ 24 hour on-site staff and emergency call buttons in each room. ❧ Loving family atmosphere. 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