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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2018)
REGION Wednesday, April 25, 2018 PENDLETON East Oregonian Page 3A MILTON-FREEWATER Voters to decide on tax to support pool, parks, golf course and more By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian That lion has some teeth Staff photo by E.J. Harris Dandelions go to seed in a grassy patch off Southeast Third Street and Byers Avenue on Tuesday in Pendle- ton. Dandelion, or Taraxacum officinale, are native to Eurasia and North America and their common name derives from the French translation of dent-de-lion, which means “lion’s tooth.” When ballots go out later this week, Milton-Freewater voters will have the option to impose a tax to support local parks and recreation. Milton-Freewater City Manager Linda Hall said there are no political action committees organized to promote or oppose the measure, which will be decided May 15, but it could have a major impact on the city’s services going forward. Here are some answers to basic questions surrounding the proposed tax. What does the tax do? The five-year local option tax would pay for capital improvement projects in Milton-Freewater’s parks and recreation system. Hall said the tax would not go toward routine maintenance at the parks or staffing. How much will it generate and how much will it cost the public? The tax will levy an estimated 37 cents per thousand dollars in assessed value on all property in Milton-Freewater, which city officials expect will generate about $100,000 for parks and recreation projects. Hall said many of these projects would probably cost more than $100,000 by them- selves, but the city intends to leverage the money it gets through the local tax to apply for grants. She said the city already does something similar for a local option tax for public transportation, a tax that generates about $50,000 to $60,000 per year but is boosted to $200,000 to $300,000 per year through grants. What projects will it cover? The city has a long laundry list of projects, which include pump and crack repairs at Joe Humbert Family Aquatic Center, a new playground and walking path resurfacing at Yantis Park, cart path repairs at the municipal golf course and tennis court repairs. How will they be prior- itized? Hall said the city has already started a series of meetings to gather public input on which projects Milton-Freewater should tackle first should the tax pass. According to Hall, the public pool has already shot to the top of the list. Why can’t the city pay for parks and recreation without raising taxes? Hall pointed to Milton-Freewater’s base rate as one of the reasons the local option tax was needed. Despite covering the fourth largest town in Umatilla County, Milton-Freewater’s $3.75 per thousand base rate is the fifth smallest among the 12 incorporated cities in the county. Oregon Measure 50 locked Milton-Freewater’s tax rate in the late 1990s, meaning the city’s property tax revenue was relatively flat as costs for services like dispatch, police, parks and recreation continued to rise. Trying to maintain these services, Hall said, meant letting a backlog of parks and recreation projects pile up without addressing them. Passing a local option tax is one of the few ways a city can raise property taxes following Measure 50. What will happen if it’s not passed? Hall said that if the tax isn’t passed May 15, the city will have to continue defer- ring maintenance on parks and recreation projects. If any of these public facilities gets too dangerous for public use, Hall said the city will be forced to close them. Shuttering facilities like the public pool is “not outside the realm of possibility,” she said. PENDLETON Downtown bars welcome new spring fever pub crawl East Oregonian Following the success of its first pub crawl in January, the Pendleton Downtown Association is plowing ahead with a follow-up on Saturday. According to the down- town association, 12 down- town Pendleton bars will offer specials and live music and the chance at a $200 raffle prize if participants visit half the locations at the Spring Fever Pub Crawl from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Crawlers will also get a custom pint glass and a lanyard. The association’s latest event comes on the heels of the Holiday Hangover Pub Crawl, which generated $2,543 on behalf of the Chil- dren’s Museum of Eastern Oregon. For the second event, the association selected the Oregon East Symphony & Chorale as its charity partner. The Vert Auditori- um-based nonprofit plans to use the proceeds to pay for a new youth strings instructor. The Spring Fever Pub Crawl locations will be at AJ’s Little Cafe, Crabbys Underground Saloon & Dance Hall, Hamley SteakHouse & Saloon, Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., Oregon Grain Growers Brand Distillery, OMG Burgers & Brew, The Packard Tavern, Prod- igal Son Brewery & Pub, Rainbow Cafe, Sisters Cafe, Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s and 40 Taps. Tickets can be bought for $15 before the event or $20 at one of the participating locations. Tickets can be purchased Prodigal Son, the Packard, Hamley, Great Pacific, Oregon Grain Growers, the Oregon East Symphony office or online at www. eventbrite.com. EO file photo Mike Cleveland of Adams plays a round of golf in October 2016, at the Milton-Freewater Municipal Golf Course. Voters will decide whether to create a parks and recreation taxing district. Hat Rock residents deny livestock district East Oregonian HERMISTON — Voters north of Hermiston rejected the formation of the Salmon Point Livestock District. Bob and Sue Keys led the effort to end open grazing on about 2,600 acres along the banks of the Columbia River, including some of Hat Rock 4/25 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie • 12:00 PM The Big Chill I Feel Pretty (PG13) 4:40 7:10 9:40 Rampage (PG13) 7:30 • 3D 5:10 10:00 Blumehouse’s Truth or Dare (PG13) 5:00 7:20 9:50 A Quiet Place (PG13) 4:50 7:00 9:30 Blockers (R) 4:30 6:50 9:20 * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 State Park. The Keys said livestock have caused a few thousand dollars of damage to their property, and setting up and tearing down a temporary electric fence to protect their land was getting a bit much. Bob Keys is 84. Some neighbors joined the Keys in petitioning for the district, which the Umatilla Wildhorse Resort & Casino presents the County Board of Commis- sioners approved for a vote on March 21. The county sent ballots to 153 voters in the proposed district and held the election April 17. According to the unofficial results, 23 voters supported the district but 43 voted against. 6th Annual Mammoth Cup Golf Tournament Friday, May 18 Wildhorse Resort Golf Course Great tee prizes, lots of side bets, free lunch and awards banquet! Register your team today! We are so grateful for everyone who honored Robert “Bob” Kasari with their presence at his memorial service April 14, 2018. Your friendship and support, cards, fl oral tributes, and your Alzheimer’s research donations go beyond words. A special “thank-you” goes to Grace and Mercy Church members, Emblem Club, Pollyannas and friends for the food they provided for the gathering at the Elks. We thank Pastor Inch, Hedgepeths, speakers, pallbearers and military personnel for honoring Bob. Last, but not least, we thank Burn’s Mortuary for their guidance. Mildred Kasari, Tom & Ellen Kasari, Kay & Rickey Deleon & family, Connie & Jim McCracken & family, Brent & Heather Kasari & family FIRST FRIDAYS ARE FREE! Thank you to Pepsi, CHI St. Anthony Hospital, Aristocrat, Wenaha Group, Byrnes Oil Co., NW Public Affairs, Clover Island Inn, Scientific Games, AGS, Ainsworth, Gordon’s Electric and Media partners East Oregonian and Port of Kennewick Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 5.175 x 5 Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm 541.429.7700 www.tamastslikt.org
