News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
A3
Long Creek fire knocked down and contained
Blue Mountain Eagle
A fire of unknown origin
outside of Long Creek grew
to about 20 acres before Or-
egon Department of Forestry
crews had it contained early
Friday morning.
ODF crews first responded
about 8 p.m. on July 19, John
Day Unit Manager Ryan Mill-
er told the Eagle. The fire was
burning grass, juniper and
sagebrush on private ranch
land about 3 miles southwest
of Long Creek and was visi-
ble from a private airport in
the Long Creek area.
ODF initially responded
with four engines before call-
ing in a fifth, for a total of 10
firefighters, Miller said. The
Long Creek Fire Department
also responded with an en-
gine, he said.
The fire was mostly
knocked down within a cou-
ple hours, but it was official-
ly contained the next morn-
ing, Miller said. ODF crews
were mopping up the site
Friday. No structures were
damaged and there were no
injuries.
Miller said they were for-
tunate the fire occurred in
the evening when there were
cooler temperatures and more
humidity. The cause of the fire
is under investigation, but it
was definitely not caused by
lightning, he said.
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
A group of firefighters pose outside the Oregon
Department of Forestry offices in John Day July 20.
A wildland fire truck stationed at the Oregon Department
of Forestry offices in John Day.
Sorting out marijuana tax distributions
$18,362 payment was the discre-
tionary money, and the county
could spend it on a variety of uses.
He read a portion of the state law
at the meeting to back up his point.
The court took no action on
Lindsay’s request, and the $18,362
remained on the county books. But
according to a July 13 email to the
Eagle from Nicole Corbin, an adult
behavioral health services manag-
er at the Oregon Health Authority,
“the $18,362 must be spent for al-
cohol and other drug treatment or
prevention services.”
Details missing in
communications to
counties and cities
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
State marijuana tax payments
that initially perplexed Grant
County officials are getting sort-
ed out — but only after the coun-
ty court mistook its discretionary
share as earmarked for alcohol or
drug abuse prevention and treat-
ment.
According to state law, Oregon
counties that allow recreational
marijuana businesses to operate in
their jurisdictions each receive a
share taken from 10 percent of the
taxes collected from recreational
marijuana businesses across the
state.
Cities also receive a share
from another 10 percent of the
total collected. The city and
county shares are based on popu-
lation size and the number of mar-
ijuana businesses in each city or
county.
In addition, 40 percent of the
marijuana tax revenue collect-
ed by the state goes to the State
School Fund, 15 percent to the
Oregon State Police, 20 percent
for mental health treatment or for
alcohol and drug abuse preven-
tion and 5 percent for purposes
related to alcohol and drug abuse
prevention, early intervention and
treatment.
Discretionary
shares
Grant County and its eight cities
initially all opted out of allowing
recreational marijuana business-
es, but they nonetheless received
a share of the marijuana tax reve-
nue collected by the state through
July 1, 2017, before the tax dis-
tributions shifted only to those
jurisdictions allowing marijuana
businesses.
John Day’s
payment
The
county re-
ceived two checks
from the Department of
Revenue in November and Janu-
ary totaling $15,175. Emails from
the DOR to Grant County Trea-
surer Julie Ellison described the
payments as “state shared revenue
distribution” from marijuana taxes
with no further explanation.
Blue Mountain Hospital CEO
Derek Daly subsequently asked the
county to provide the $15,175 to
the Community Health Needs As-
sessment Substance Abuse Com-
mittee to fund a variety of projects
to increase public awareness of
substance abuse.
Lisa Weigum, a substance abuse
prevention coordinator with Com-
munity Counseling Solutions,
spoke to the Grant County Court
in support of Daly’s request at the
court’s April 11 meeting.
Grant County Judge Scott My-
ers noted in the meeting that the
county wasn’t sure how the mon-
ey should be spent, and the court
unanimously approved the request.
It has since been determined
that this money was not ear-
marked for treatment and preven-
tion, and
the county
could have spent
the funds for law enforce-
ment, roads or any other county
needs.
DOR Communications Op-
erations Manager Joy Krawcsyk
confirmed this in emails to the
Eagle July 13.
Earmarked
shares
On April 4, Grant County re-
ceived $18,362 from the Oregon
Health Authority representing mar-
ijuana taxes collected from July 1,
2017, through March 31. An email
from OHA to Ellison described the
payment as “marijuana tax revenue
transfers” with no further explana-
tion.
During the county court’s June
13 meeting, Community Counsel-
ing Solutions Executive Director
Kimberly Lindsay requested that
the $18,362 be provided to CCS
for drug or alcohol treatment and
not for prevention.
Commissioner Jim Hamsher,
however, objected to Lindsay’s
request, saying he believed the
John Day City Manager Nick
Green told the Eagle the city re-
ceived only one marijuana tax pay-
ment from the state, but unlike the
county there was no explanation.
“We have received no such
letters in John Day,” he said in
an email. “No correspondence of
any kind from either OHA or the
DOR with regard to marijuana
funding.”
The John Day City Council
on Feb. 3 unanimously approved
providing its $4,945 share in the
state’s supplemental marijuana tax
for 2017 to the Community Health
Needs Assessment Substance
Abuse Committee to support edu-
cation on substance abuse issues.
But that money fell into the 10
percent share all Oregon cities re-
ceived and could have been spent
at the discretion of the city council
and not dedicated exclusively to al-
cohol or drug abuse prevention or
treatment.
Green said the city ended up
using its Community Development
Fund to pay CHNA and then back-
filling that amount later using the
state marijuana tax payment.
Other counties
and cities
Grant County and John Day
were not alone in their confusion
about marijuana revenue payments
from the state, as shown by emails
received by the Eagle.
“You are not the only person,
and Grant is not the only county,
to have some confusion about the
marijuana tax dollars,” Corbin said
June 25.
The city of Hines, which opt-
ed to allow marijuana business-
es, had difficulties understanding
the state payments, according to
City Administrator Judy Erwin.
She said communication with the
cities seemed “haphazard and not
very well administered.”
“They always just send the
money without any explanation of
how they arrived at the amount,
and it is always paid late,” she said,
adding, “I think they are sending
money to the county for payment
to the health department, although
the county is not sure that’s what
it’s for. The money just showed up,
and since the county opted out, no
one was sure.”
Deschutes and Malheur county
officials told the Eagle they orig-
inally had questions about money
they received as well.
Future
changes
A new law signed by Gov. Kate
Brown on April 3 establishes an
Oregon Marijuana Account sep-
arate and distinct from the state’s
general fund. The Department of
Revenue will distribute funds on a
quarterly basis.
According to Corbin, the new
bill will allow the Oregon Health
Authority to provide money di-
rectly to intergovernmental agree-
ments between counties and mental
health providers, such as Commu-
nity Counseling Solutions.
Grant County voters overturned
the ban on recreational marijuana
businesses in May. Myers has said
he will seek to impose a 3 percent
tax on recreational marijuana busi-
nesses as allowed by state law.
That revenue will be discretionary,
and the county can use it for any
purposes it sees fit.
A TTENTION G RANT
C OUNTY
V ETERANS :
Did you know a service-connected
disabled veteran is entitled to
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You Never Know What You’ll Find At
A Collectors West Gun & Knife Show!
August 4 th & 5 th
See your Grant County Veteran Services Katee
Hoffman
Officer today for more information.
Call 541-620-8057 for an appointment
530 E. Main, Ste. 5, John Day, OR
Pendleton
Convention Center
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66175
66167
FREE BOOKS FOR KIDS
UNDER THE
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OTEC is proud to bring
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Visit your local OTEC office to sign up today
or visit us at www.otecc.com for more information
70147