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Court, Committee plan to "wrap up
county budget at today's session
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Welcome Home
Ione's Kevin McC'abe (12) slaps hands with teammates after slugging first inning homer against Wasco Tuesday.
Robin LaRue preceded McCabe with another round-tripper but the Cards lost 19-12.
Both the Morrow County
Court and County Budget
Committee face a long, hard
session today (Thursday),
with plans to keep at it until
the budget is completely
"wrapped up", according to
Judge D.O. Nelson.
The fourth scheduled budget
session will begin at 9 a.m. in
the Courthouse.
The size and shape of the
budget remained in doubt last
Friday after committee mem
bers ended their third meeting
with the preliminary review of
departmental requests behind
them and major decision
making ahead.
The preliminary budget to
taled approximately $133,000
outside the six per cent
limitation after the last re
quest of $18,000 to replace an
obsolete assessment roll ma
chine used by the assessor's
and tax offices was made.
Some shifts were made in
the budget, including the
transfer of all vehicle requests
($31,910 total) from individual
departments to a new line
item in the non-departmental
budget. The change was made
,o facilitate bookkeeping and
possibly enable a better buy
on the vehicles. A decision on
the actual non-departmental
requests has not been made
yet.
Several departmental bud
gets were tentatively ap
proved with six per cent
across the board salary sub
ject to negotiation on behalf of
union workers in the sheriff's
office and road department.
Nelson said early in the week
the Court planned to meet with
the union negotiator Wednes
day (yesterday) in Executive
Session, and the results of that
session would be discussed at
today's budget meeting.
A courthouse budget of
$13,490 was approved, with
$2,100 trimmed off the initial
request. That amount will be
supplied from anti-recession
funds earmarked for court
house maintenance.
The Assessor's Department
budget of $92,582 was also
approved, down from $101,604
initially requested because of
the transfer of vehicle req
quests to the non-departmental
budget.
The County Court budget,
trimmed by $600, was ap
proved for $44,397, substan
tially more than the $25,171
budgeted during the current
year because of the transfer of
commissioners' salaries from
the road department budget
and additional costs for sup
plies. Approved without change
were the budget for the County
Clerk's Office ($31,596), the
Circuit Court ($22,323) and the
Health Department ($21,427).
No decisions were made on
substantial increases asked
for by both the Sheriff's Office
and the District Attorney's
Office. Neither have the
committee members decided
on the $167,000 request made
by the Hospital Board, not
included in the general budget
at this time.
With the budgets so far
approved still subject to
change, the Budget Commit
tee and Court are left with a
myriad of critical decisions to
make at today's session.
Weather
Wed., Apr. 26
Thurs. Apr. 27
Fri., Apr. 28
Sat., Apr. 29
Sun., Apr. 30
Mon. May 1
Tues., May 2
April Prec. 2.45
Normal 1.27
April 1977 .07
Hi
53
52
60
60
60
65
66
Low Pre.
49 1.00
46
45
39
36
40
42
.06
TE-T
IMES
VOL. 96 NO. 18
HEPPNER, OREGON
THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1978
14 PAGES
20c
icaree hoiisiiig in county
boosts property tax skyward
Morrow County's housing
shortage is being blamed for
. steep Increases in many new
property tax statements re
cently mailed to county home
owners. Blanket re-appraisals have
raised home valuations about
12 per cent in Heppner and
about 18 per cent in Lexington.
Home values in lone, Irrigon
and Boardman, however,
have remained roughly the
same. The new valuations will
be used in figuring property
tax rates during the 1978-79
tax year.
Morrow County Assessor
Everett Harshman said the
home valuation increase is the
result of more people seeking
housing than there are homes
to buy sometimes even pay
ing more than the home's
appraised value. So long as
he housing pinch continues,
and people are willing to pay
inflated prices for shelter, the
tax valuations will keep ris
ing, since the valuations are
based on the property's mar
ket value, he added.
"It's a problem," said
Harshman, "and I don't know
what the answer is. ..People
need a place to live, and
they're willing to pay maybe
more than they should to buy
it."
Harshman added that the
inflated housing costs "end up
penalizing the people who
already have homes here,
have put maybe a total of ,
$20,000 into them, but find
(hem appraised at $40,000."
Blanket property tax re -appraisals
are made each year
under Oregon laws, which
require assessors to keep
' valuations at 100 per cent of
the market value. The blanket
re-appraisals are figured by
averaging comparitive real
estate sales in an area during
the past year. Harshman
sends Morrow County real
estate sales information to the
Department of Revenue in
Salem, where it is processed
by computer for comparison
with previous valuations. The
re-evaluation figured by the
computer is returned to
Harshman, who is required to
make county tax adjustments
accordingly.
In addition to an increase in
home values, the re-appraisals
reflected significant
raises in taxes for commercial
buildings and lots in Morrow
County. Unimproved com
mercial lots in Heppner sky
rocketed 39 per cent over last
year's tax valuations, and
commercial building valua
tions rose about four per cent.
Commercial buildings went up
four per cent in both Lexing
ton and lone, eight per cent in
Boardman, and five per cent
in Irrigon.
On a countywide basis,
re-evaluations for dryland
wheat property dropped
roughly 25 per cent from the
previous year, largely due to a
decrease in wheat prices,
according to Harshman.
Irrigated alfalfa land
showed a slight increase
county wide, and grazing land
remained about the same.
Re-evaluations of these agri
cultural properties are based
mainly on an averaging of
costs to lease such land. Lease
rates fluctuate with the value
of the commodity the property
supports.
Harshman noted that in
creases in apraised values do
not necessarily mean in
creases in the amount of
property taxes to be paid. The
tax rate is determined by the
budgets of county-supported
institutionsand agencies, such
-as the county commission,
school board, water districts,
park and cemetery boards.
Heppner's property tax rate
dropped from $23.78 per $1,000
worth of assessed property in
1976-77 to $18.22 in 1977-78,
Harshman noted. He added
that only one other county in
the state has a lower millage
rate than Morrow County.
Heppner budget passes
Heppner's city budget was approved by a wide margin in
Tuesday's election, despite a dismal 25 per cent turnout at
the polls.
A total of 133 voters cast ballots in favor of the measure,
with 78 voting no.
The vote was required by state law, since the new budeet
exceeded by $36,759 a six per cent limitation on annual
municipal spending.
"Needless to say, I'm very pleased with the results,"
commented Mayor Jerry Sweeney. "I think the city now has
a direct obligation to the people to give attention to the
streets, and make improvements in city services."
YES
133
NO
78
Planning Commission recommends
building permit simplification
INo opposition for county
positions unless write-ins
The Heppner Planning Com
mission met in an active
session Tuesday night and
among other things, made a
recommendation to the City
Council that would simplify
obtaining a building permit
and coordinate information
need by prospective builders,
ers.
Commission member Lee
Hazen asked what could be
done to coordinate inspection
information and simplify is
suance of building permits.
Hazen stated that he talked
to a family currently building
a home in Heppner. "They
documented what they had to
go through, including the
number of people they talked
to and the number of long
distance phone calls made in
arranging construction of
their home," said Hazen. "It
was amazing."
Hazen said their biggest
complaint was that no one
within the city administration
seemed to know where to
obtain various inspections.
Another issue was the amount
of time it took to obtain a
building permit.
At the present, a person
wishing to build a home or
commercial business or re
model an existing structure at
a value of $2,500 or more, must
appear before the city council
to obtain a building permit.
If a variance is required, the
prospective builder must also
appear before the planning
commission, receive his var
iance and then appear before
the council. Under the present
system, the process means a
wait of at least 30 days.
After considerable discus
sion, the Planning Commis
sion decided to ask the City
Council to give the proposed
City Administrator authoriza
tion to issue building permits
if the structure meets zoning
specifications without a var
iance or conditional use being
required.
Continued On Page 3
Unless write-in contests de
velop, Morrow County Judge
D.O. Nelson, Assessor Everett
Harshman and Commissioner
Homer Hughes will run unop
posed for their respective
positions on both the primary
and general election ballots.
Nelson, a Democrat, was
appointed by Gov. Bob Straub
to fill the vacancy left by the
resignation of Judge Paul
Jones and took office as
county judge on July 1, 1977.
A 31 -year resident of Mor
row County, Nelson's back
ground includes farming and
chairmanships of the Budget
Committee and the School
Board. He was also a past
president of Morrow County
Grain Growers, served on the
County Planning Commission
and was active in 4-H and Fair
activities. County judges are
elected to a six-year term.
is running for his second
four-year term.
Harshman was nominated
for his position in the primary
campaign in 1974 with a
ELECTION
V0TE 7SS
MAY U C2)
23
Everett Harshman, also a
Democrat, is a native of
Eastern Oregon and took over
as county assessor in 1975. He
News Briefs
PMH plans Hospital Week open house
Pioneer Memorial Hospital wishes Morrow County and
the citizens of The Tri-County area well this week and all
other 51 weeks of the year," said Administrator Bob Byrnes
in announcing the start of National Hospital Week, 1978 (May
7-13). National Hospital Week is an annual observance
sponsored by the American Hospital Association and its
member hospitals to show appreciation for the work done by
hospital employees and to encourage hospital-community
interaction.
On Friday, May 12, Pioneer Memorial Hospital will host
an open-house and tea from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the hospital
solarium. A film "A Life in Your Hands" will be shown and
CPR will be demonstrated. There will be a blood pressure
clinic for those who may beinterested, and pamphlets will be
available on nutrition and other aspects . of health
maintenance.
"This year's theme, 'Hospitals Wish You Well!', carries
a goodwill message from hospitals for the continued or
renewed good health of everyone in the community," said
Byrnes. "And we'd like to make this an occasion to remind
people that good health doesn't just happen, it takes effort.
"We hope that National Hospital Week will signal the
need to change unhealthy lifestyle patterns like smoking,
eating or drinking to excess, getting too little rest or exercise,
or not havine the routine medical care recommended by your
doctor. National Hospital Week is an appropriate time to
start doing what you can to stay out of the hospital," he said.
Kenneth Plant
sentenced
Kenneth Logan Plant, 18, of Boardman, was sentenced to
five years' probation, a 60-day jail sentence, fined $1,000, and
ordered to take part in a mental health program, following
his third-degree robbery conviction for the January holdup of
a Boardman Texaco station.
The sentence order was handed down Friday by Circuit
Judge Jack Olsen, following a pre-sentence investigation by
Oregon Corrections Division officials. Appearing before
Olsen in March, Plant pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of
third-degree robbery.
The Boardman man initially had been charged with
first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, recklessly
endangering and driving under the influence. He was
arrested in Boardman by state police and sheriff's deputies,
after he alledgedly held officers at bay with a shotgun.
Hunter safety
courses offered
The Morrow County Search & Rescue Posse will sponsor
a series of Hunter Safety Courses for area residents.
Sheriff Larry Fetsch said five members of the Posse
have received certification as instructors and the first class
will be scheduled as soon as ten persons sign up.
Fetsch noted that all hunters between the ages of 12-18
must have a Hunter Safety Card in their possession before a
hunting license will be issued. "Anyone over 18 that wants to
take the class is more than welcome," added Fetsch.
The class includes films, hand-out materials, live firing
of a gun and tests.
Interested persons may sign up at Morrow County Grain
Growers or the Sheriff's Office.
write-in campaign he said he
knew nothing about, receiving
61 write-in votes on the
Democratic ballot and 80 on
the Republican ballot. He
went on to defeat the incum
bent Joyce Bergstrom in the
general election. Harshman
was a wheat and cattle
rancner and a businessman
before his election.
On the Republican ballot for
his third four-year term as
county commissioner, Homer
Hughes is a native of Morrow
County. He worked for Mor
row County Grain Growers for
seven years before going into
wheat farming in 1949. Hughes
helped lay the groundwork for
Blue Mountain Community
College and is a former
member of the BMCC budget
committee. He served on the
Morrow County School Dis
trict Advisory Committee and
on the MCGG board of
directors.
Dan Creamer of Irrigon, a
member of the Morrow Coun
ty Budget Committee, was
questioned about the possibi-
Continued On Page 5
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