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Last stand
Voters to decide June 27
Putting 'house in order' takes
county budget outside six percent
After the auditor had made
a few technical changes, one
item reduced and another
increased, and $51,000 been
figured into Morrow County's
general fund budget for esti
mated taxes not to be re
ceived, the finalized budget
went to the county clerk's
office on Monday standing at
$232,655 over the six per cent
limitation. Voters decide
whether or not to approve this
amount at the polls on June 27.
Two line items in the
non-departmental budget un
derwent changes at last Wed
nesday's County Court meet
inga tax roll machine item
shrunk from $18,000 to $7,628
and vacation pay and contin
gency salary grew from $1,500
to $8,000.
Black Mt. Repair buys
Bud Englert, owner of Black Mountain Repair in
Heppner, announced this week the firm has purchased the
Homelite dealership from Jerry Samples' Mobile Service.
Homelite parts and service, as well as chain filing, are
Forest roads to close
Some 90 to 100 infrequently used roads and jeep tracks
are proposed to be closed in the Umatilla National Forest,
U.S. Forest Service officials announced last week.
According to Ben Siminoe of the Heppner Ranger
District Office, none of the roads proposed for closure are
major access routes. Most are old logging roads, short
dead-end routes, and four-wheel drive tracks that have been
minimally maintained, or not maintained at all, some of
which have already been replaced by higher quality roads,
he said.
Most areas of the forest will still be easily accessible by
roads remaining in the National Forest System. The roads to
be closed would remain open to hikers and foot-borne
hunters, Siminoe said.
The roads tentatively set to be closed and reclaimed to
the forest had been posing water quality problems, by
draining silty storm runoff into area streams.
If the road closure program is given final approval, work
on constructing barricades could possibly start in six weeks,
and would be completed before Oct. 1.
A map showing the roads and tracks to be affected is
available in the Heppner Ranger District Office. Any public
comments should be sent in writing to H.B. Rudolph, Forest
Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. Hailey Ave.,
Pendleton, 97801. Comments to be considered should be
postmarked no later than May 26.
Three members of an owl family have taken up residence in the leaky 75 year-old barn
on the property of Fred Iloskins, Jr. at the outskirts of Heppner. They will soon be out of a
home, however, as the round structure is slated for destruction in the near future. See
Justine Weatherford's column in Section Two of this week's Gazette-Times.
The big jump from the
$185,229 budget reported last
week is accounted for by the
hefty estimated taxes not to be
received figure, which needs
to be included in any final
budget. "We knew this item
would have to be added on,"
commented Judge D.O. Nel
son, "but we didn't know what
the amount would be".
The tax money required to
balance the general fund
budget is $509,164 including
the $327,509 tax base for fiscal
year 1978-79. The total general
fund budget adds up to
$849,357, with $340,193 of that
amount to be provided by
sources other than tax reve
nue. "I really don't consider this
budget unreasonable, espe
NEWS BRIEF
cially considering the large
inflation rate and the fact that
we have't asked for anything
over the six per cent limitation
for many years," Judge
Nelson said. He said the
inflation rate for the county
has actually been closer to 10
per cent than six per cent.
The judge pointed out that
this year revenue sharing
money would not be used for
operating expenses, a practice
which has yearly reduced the
amount of revenue sharing
money received by the county.
Judge Nelson commented
on the substantial increase in
the Sheriff's Office budget:
"Unless Hermiston and Pen
dleton completely cut us off,
the two new deputies will be
able to transport prisoners
dealership,to expand
available at the present time through Black Mountain.
Eglert said he plans to start extensive remodeling of the
existing Black Mountain Repair sales and service area to
accomodate a complete line of Homelite chain saws and
power appliances. Black Mountain is also the area dealer for
Arctic Cat snowmobiles, which will occupy a section of the
new facility.
Remodeling plans also include landscaping of the area
in front of the sales and service building and fencing of the
car wash located across the highway, which was recently
constructed by Englert.
Creamer write-in
campaign started
A group of northern Morrow County residents has started
a write-in campaign for County Budget Committee member
Dan Creamer for County Commissioner on the Democratic
ballot.
"Dan's well acquainted with county government," said
Irrigon Businessman Earl Trudeau, one of his write-in
supporters. Besides serving on the budget committee,
Creamer has been active on the county planning commission
and road department, Trudeau noted.
In 1976, Creamer lost by a narrow margin in his
campaign against Judge Paul Jones on the Republican
ticket.
Creamer, who retired as project manager for Inland
Pacific Navigation Co. shortly after his bid for the judge's
position, lives in Irrigon.
Although Creamer's name will not be on the ballot for the
upcoming primary election, he apparently is the only
Democratic candidate seeking the commission seat. If his
write-in campaign proves successful, he would face
Republican Homer Hughes in the general election.
and take the pressure off of ust
as far as a new jail is con
cerned." Many hours of work and
effort on the part of the Budget
Committee and the County
Court over the past few weeks
has gone into preparing a
general fund budget for fiscal
year 1978-79. A public hearing
on the budget will be held by
the County Court in the
Judge's Office on Friday, May
26. A copy of the entire budget
may be inspected or obtained
free of charge at the court
house. It is now up to the voters of
Morrow County to consider all
the facts and make their
decision at the polls on June
27.
Morrow
VOL. SXi NO. 20
Hospital
approval of $190,082; requires
special levy election date
The Pioneer Memorial Hos
pital Board of Trustees deri
ded last week to ask Morrow
County residents to approve a
$190,082 one-yeur operating
levy for the hospital at the
polls in June. On the same
day, the County Court will
submit the county's $232,655
general fund budget to the
voters on a separate ballot.
The $190,082 figure was
arrived at by adding $17,000 in
estimated taxes not to be
received and a small hike in
pay for personnel to the
$167,153 first requested by the
Hospital Board.
The Board's one-year levy
request is actually a stalling
tactic to gain time necessary
to go through all the steps
required to form a county
wide Health Care District,
according to vice-chairman
Larry Mills. He said the
envisioned district would take
over from the County Court
-. pwn'-rship and responsibility
" of the hospital, ambulance
service, medical clinics and
other health related services.
Discussion of the Health
District and the decision to
place the hospital and county
budgets on separate ballots
was made at the County Court
last Wednesday. Mills argued
for putting both budgets
together saying "the money
all comes from the same
pocket", but the Court decided
that separate ballots would
give the people more of a
choice, and if either budget
was defeated it would be
easier to know where to start
cutting.
The Board then decided to
try for a one-year, rather than
two-year, levy, as was also
discussed. Mills explained;
"The main reason we went for
a one-year levy is that we
want to get the district formed
immediately. This will make
us get up and get to work on
it."
The county's $190,082 share
of hospital operation, goes into
a total budget of $1,093, 419,
with other resources, includ
ing increases in hospital and
nursing home charges, provi
ding an estimated $926,266.
Included in the budget for
fiscal year 1978-79 is $52,391
for capital outlay, with most of
the money earmarked for
equipment replacement
throughout the hospital. Mills
said that in past years funds
have not been used for tha'
purpose and equipment re
placement is now absolutely
necessary. "From an equip
ment standpoint we have cut
back as far as we can," he
commented.
Also included in the Pioneer
Memorial Hospital budget is
$537,912, personnel; $345,987,
supplies and expense; $30,000,
excess reimbursement of Me
dicare; $35,000 contingency
fund ; free care and allowance,
$64,806; and respiratory ther
apy, $32,952.
Until last year, taxpayers
provided around $55,000 annu
ally through three-year levies
for hospital operation.
Mills said that the hospital
depended upon three-year ser
ial levies of approximately
$55,000 to balance the hospital
County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
HKFPNKR. OREGON
budget requires voter
budget, until last year when
the Board decided to try to get
through the year with no tax
money. A deficit of $40,000
resulted from that experi
ment. "We just don't have
enough admissions," Mills
commented. "Average bed
occupancy is now 38 per cent
and we need 48 per cent just to
break even."
Mills explained why he felt a
health care district would
benefit the entire county:
"The chief goals of the district
would be to give responsibility
to an elected board of direc
tors (the Hospital Board is
appointed), to provide a
vehicle for people from both
A
Special recognition
A special plaque of recognition was awarded to Hazel Mahoney of Heppner for her
many years of service on the Pioneer Memorial Board of Trustees at the hospital's open
house last Friday afternoon. The presentation was made by Larry Mills, representing the
Board, who thanked her for all her efforts over the years. Hazel's husband, the late P.W.
Mahoney, was the hospital Board's first president, serving for 15 years from the time the
hospital was first dedicated in 1950.
Port of Morrow budget
remains within six percent
The new budget for the Port
of Morrow for fiscal year
1978-79 will be within the six
per cent increase limitation
established by state law.
The port authority's budget
committee met in ' Heppner
last week to tentatively agree
to a new general fund budget
of nearly $33,000. The general
fund figure may have to be
adjusted upward to $37,000 in
order to compensate for taxes
estimated not to be received.
Port commissioners indi
cated they would eventually
like to see the construction of a
public dock and airport for the
THURSDAY. MAY 18. 1978
ends of the county to use to get
their health needs taken care
of and to provide a much
better system of administra
tion. Mills emphasized that Pio
neer Memorial Hospital is not
the only small, rural hospital
having financial trouble and
many health districts have
been formed throughout the
state. He said there were only
a few county-operated hospi
tals left.
Steps necessary to form a
district include getting a
petition for the formation
signed by 10 per cent of
registered voters in the coun
ty. The petition then must be
port facility, but felt such
improvements would best be
financed through general obli
gaton bond issues, rather than
through yearly budget tax
levies. Since significant in
creases in budget tax levies
are anticipated from Morrow
County government and the
county school district, com
missioners felt it more pru
dent to fund the dock and
airport improvements
through bonding'and possible
grants.
Budget figures of $178,780
and $97,500 were approved tor
the Port of Morrow's utility
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certified by the county clerk,
and submitted to the County
Court, which will either vote to
form the district after public
hearings or call for a special
election, the district will try to
get a tax base through a
county-wide vote, and call for
the election of a board of
directors. It will also negotiate
with the County Court for
control of assets, such as
hospital and medical clinics.
The Hospital Board must,
however, first get its one-year
operating budget passed, be
fore it can concentrate on its
primary goal of getting a
health care district formed.
system and port facilities
expenditures. These two items
are expected to be self-supporting
through port reve
nues. In other action, the port
commissioners voted to autho
rize a survey of an 89-acre
port-owned parcel near the
HWY. 730 80 intersection,
with an eye toward installing
roads and utilites on five-acre
lots.
Frank Anderson of Heppner
was sworn in as a new port
commissioner, filling a vacan
cy created by the resignation
of long-time commissioner
Oscar Peterson.
24 pages