Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1980)
TWELVE The Heppner Gatette-Ttmei, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, March 20, 19X0 No savings to taxpayer, more paperwork, Sweek says of less-than-100 valuation law for property By Stf vf n A. Powell Property owners will not be paying taxes on 100 percent of true market value this year but, "It is not going to save the taxpayer anything as far as I ' can see," said Greg Sweek. Morrow County tax assessor. "It's a bad program." he said. "It just gives us (at the assessor's office) more paper work." The new law. House Bill 2540. requires that property not be assessed at 100 percent true market value. Sweek said the percentage will change yearly depending on the rising market but this year home steads will be assessed at 84.2 percent of true cash value and other property will pay 87.6 percent. This means taxpayers will be paying a higher cost per $1,000 in valuation than if they were taxed at true cash value but the total taxes will be the same. A mythical example would be that instead of paying $15 per $1 .000 valuation for true cash value as in the past, this year taxpayers would pay $16.50 per $1,000 valuation because of the reduced rate at taxing at 84.2 percent of total valuation. The total amount of taxes paid, however, would be about the same. A review of taxing informa tion available from the county assessor's office for the last five years shows that Heppner is the most expensive city to live in with average taxes being $91 4. .08 each year. lone is second at $710.88. Irrigon third at $701.04. Boardman next with $679.76 and Lexing ton is the least expensive city in Morrow County to live in with taxes at $679.76 an nually for an average. In Heppner. property tax payers on $40,000 property paid $1,036 in taxes in 1975. $951.20 in 1976. $752.80 in 1977, $970 in 1978 and $860.40 in 1979. In Irrigon. on $40,000 proper ty taxpayers paid $681.20 in 1975. $754 in 1976, $618.40 in 1977. $799.20 in 1978 and $672.40 in 1979. In Ixington. for the same valued property, taxpayers spent $582 in 1975. $544.80 in 1976. $476 in 1977. $591.60 in 1978 and $618 in 1979. A person who owned a $40,000 home and property in lone in 1975 paid $735.20. in 1976 $695.20. in 1977 $662.40 in 1978 $768.80 and in 1979 $692.80. In Boardman. a $40,000 property owner paid $707 in 1975. $624.80 in 1976, $589.60 in 1977. $764.80 in 1978 and $712.40 in 1979. The entire county valuation more than doubled in the last five years from $193,125,965 in 1975 to $472,159,408 in 1979. The valuation of Heppner has gone up from $11,619,769 in 1975 to $13,212,988 in 1976 to $14,971,188 in 1977 to $16,801,106 in 1978 to $20,826,751 in 1979. Irrigon -s valuation has in creased from $1,706,540 in 1975 to $2,482,873 in 1976 to $3,698,581 in 1977 to $4,513,778 in 1978 to $6,463,556 in 1979. The valuation of Lexington has increased slightly each year from $2,028,183 in 1975 to $2,316,529 in 1976 to $2,674,197 in 1977 to $3,000,621 in 1978 to $3,290,520 in 1979. tone's valuation has only slightly increased each year from $2,151,539 in 1975 to $2,286,844 in 1976 to $2,939,642 in 1977 to $3,161,105 in 1978 to $3,474,740 in 1979. Boardman's valuation has increased almost 300 percent in the last five years from $5,193,512 in 1975 to $6,754,540 in 1976 to $12,057,386 in 1977 to $17,447,739 in 1978 to $21,622,351 in 1979. The Morrow County School District taxed the county taxpayers at a rate of $9.19 per $1,000 valuation in 1975, $8.82 per $1,000 in 1976, $7.58 in 1977, $9.59 in 1978 and $7.73 per $1,000 in 1979. Blue Mountain Community College taxed Morrow County property owners for $1.91 per $1,000 in 1975, $1.76 in 1976, $1.87 in 1977. $1.54 in 1978 and $1.41 in 1979. Taxes to fund the county budget were at $2.39 per $1,000 in 1975. $2.02 per $1,000 in 1976. $1 .55 in 1977. $2.75 in 1978, and $3,22 per $1,000 valuation in 1979. In 1975. the city of Heppner taxed the property owners $11.62 per $1,000 valuation and for all the taxing district. Heppner owners paid $25.90 per $1,000. In 1976. the city of Heppner taxed at $lo.56per $1,000 and total taxes were $23.78 per $1,000. The city of Heppner taxed property own ers $7.20 per $1,000 in 1977 and they paid a total of $18.82 per $1 .000 in valuation the lowest in the five-year period. Tax payers paid $24.25 per $1,000 totally in 1978 with $9.78 per $1.01X1 going to the city of Heppner. Of $21.51 per $1000 in 1979. $8.38 went to the city of Heppner. Irrigon taxpayers paid $17.03 per $1,000 in 1975 with only $1.33 going to the city of Irrigon. Taxes went up to $18.85 per $1,000 the next year and the city received $4.54 per $1.000 the most in the five year period. In 1977. Irrigon property owners paid $15.46 per $1,000 with $2 .89 going to the city. The tax rate rose to $19.48 per $1,000 in the next year but $3.41 went to the city of Irrigon. In 1979. they paid $16.81 per $1,000 with $2.53 per $1,000 entering the city bud get. The city of Lexington has barely taxed its property owners until last year. The rate was 67 cents per $1,000 in 1975. 62 cents in 1976. 57 cents in 1977, 56 cents in 1978 and then jumping to $2.78 per $1,000 in 1979. Total taxes for the city taxpayers were $14.55 in 1975. $13.62 in 1976. $11.90 in 1977. $14.79 in 1978 and $15.45 in 1979. lone paid $18.38 per $1,000 in 1975 with $4.50 going to that city budget for operation. In 1976. the rate dropped a dollar to $17.38 with the city receiv ing $4.38. Taxpayers paid $5.23 per $1,000 to the city of lone in 1977 and a total of $16.56. lone paid its highest rate in 1978 at $19.22 per $1,000 valuation but the city received just $4 99 despite the jump. The city of lone received $4.65 per $1,000 in 1979 out of a total of $17.32 per $1,000 that they were taxed. Boardman property owners paid $17.68 per $1,000 inl975 with $3.41 per $1,000 going to the city of Boardman. In 1976. they paid $15.87 with $2.75 to the city. Its lowest total rate was in 1977 with a rate of $14 74 and $3.28 went to the city budget. The total rate jumped almost $5 per $1,000 valuation the next year to $19.12 with $4.37 going to Boardman itself. In 1979. the rate totally was $17.81 per $1,000 with $4.57 going to the Boardman city budget. Taxes that needed to be raised by the different taxing districts show why taxpayers had to pay the different rates. The figures are not the total budgets but only the part that needed to be raised by county taxpayers. In 1975. the school district needed. $1,822,837 while in 1976 it rose to $2,140,775. It increased slightly to $2,167,704 in 1977 and $3,148,402 in 1978. It jumped to $3,684,285 in 1979. The county budget needed only $473,931 in 1975 and $490,276 in 1976. It actually dropped to $450,985 in 1977 but more than doubled the next year to $905,324. It increaseed Correction on Morrow nurse's Pay The Morrow County nurse will receive a salary of $16,488 rather than the figure re ported in last week's Heppner Gazette-Times of $18,468. Nurse Pat Wright made $14,242 this year. The error was made be cause a copy of the county budget that was approved by the budget committee was given to the newspaper before it had been updated from a previous budget meeting. even more in 1979 to $1 .538.707, Blue Mountain Community College needed $368,870. for taxes in 1975 with $415,948 in 1076. The college taxed for $534,776 in 1977. $505,582 in 1078 and $672,015 in 1070. The Port of Morrow taxes onlv slightlv each vear asking for $32,831 in 1075. $33,775 in m. $37,177 in 1077. $30,306 in 1078 and $42,869 in 1070. The ritv of Heppner needed taxes In he raised mounting to $135,021 in 1075. $130,400 in 1076. dropping to $107,710 in 1077 and then increased to $164,314 in 107K In 1070. the citv budget needed $174,528 from county taxes paid by property owners, lone needed $0.(181 from taxes in 1075. $10,010 in 1076. $15,370 in 1077, $15,773 in 1078 and $16,157 in 1070 I'nlil 1070. Lexington city taxes were minimal. In 1075. the budget needed $1,358 and in 107fi $1,410 In 1077 it went up to $1,504 and in 1078 $1,680. The big jump in 1070 brought EPr Belted B60 - THE SUDDEN SERVICE BOYS k:: J the city budget to $0,147. Irrigon "s city budget took a 400 percent jump from 1075 to 107fi but has leveled off since then. In 1075, Irrigon's city budget required $2,260 in taxes but in 1076 it rose to $11,314. In 1077. it dropped to $10,602 but increased to $15,449 in 1978 and $16,352 in 1070, J - ? ft Members of the Heppner square-dancinK show for their Hi 9 f 60 series 13 4375 F.60-H- IK. 73 FfiO-M 5 1. IX 53. SI IliH-ll F.1HM5 ;,i,ir K.o-1 r. 5 ;, (110-15 51.71 I .(id-1 5 (i3.ll Plus FFT and ex hangp MINI-EUROPA 13x6... 46.96 14x6. ..51. 14 SUNSPOKE II 13x5.5.32.37 14x6. ..34.57 15x6 ...36.22 15x7. ..37.42 fa Honrdman's city budget has grown tremendously in the five-year criod from $17,700 required by taxes in 1075 to $08,844 required by taxes in 1070. It only jumped to $18,520 in 1976 hut doubled to $30,403 in 1078 then practically doubled auain to $76,246 in 1070. Grade School put parents last week. spring with ft Belted 70 series A70-13 j 441 II. Mdn 676-9463 Sj rZfT mi MK u;(iiai) on water (Continued from page 1) The President announced last Friday in a nationwide televised address that $13 billion must be cut from federal spending projects in the fight against inflation. At a special council meeting this week, Mayor Jerome Sweeney mentioned the possi bility that funding for the dam and reservoir might be dropped. His comment was made during discussion of water system improvements the city must undertake as a result of the project. The U S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to relocate the city's reservoir, which would require upgrad ing for water distribution lines. The meeting had been called to decide on the reservoir capacity and to adopt an ordinance for a Iwind issue election. The present reser voir's capacity is 780,000 gallons. The council expressed 73 Plus I IT Add tl if mi (rude LIEBRE Fit most Import cars 13x6... 46.08 KLASSIC 13x5.5.35.90 14x6... 37.99 15x6. ..41.50 15x7... 43.75 niuu Hcppcer 676-9481 Council calls for bond vote system improvements preference for a new concrete reservoir, rather than s!cel; and in place of increased stonige capacity, to spend the difference in funds on improv ing Well No. 6, known as the Thorpe Well, situated above Balm Fork. , The choices for increasing the reservoir size were to enlarge it to one million gallons, to P i million gallons or l's million gallons, at difference in cost ranging from $60,000 to $140,000. The bond election, for gen eral obligation bonds totalling $430,000. would be scheduled May 20. The funds would cover the new Thorpe Well, a transmission line from the reservoir, a high-pressure line to the Rock Street area, and associated costs including le gal and engineering fees, surveying and mapping, a rate study and contingency funds, Citv Aitornev William Kuhn LES SCHWADl n Radial 60 adial 70 BR70-13 LES SCHWAB'S , i I CREDIT PIANI USE IT T0DAYI, BR60-13 mmmmmmmmmm , 1 'i offered, instead of an ordi nance, a resolution that he said would be sufficient for authorizing an election. A resolution would not require a unanimous vote for "emer gency" passage in order to set the May election date. Kuhn said he had not expected a unanimous vote and he was right. The vote on the resolution was three to one, with one abstention. Councilmen Frank , Pearson. Cliff Green and Robert Laughlin voted yes, Councilman Warren Plochar sky no, and Councilman Joe Miller abstained, apparently for philosophical reasons. Sweeney said it is the right of the council members to abstain from voting without giving a reason. "I never ask." he commented. Later, Miller said; "I feel we still have to act as a group. Rather than voting against it, this shows that we see things differently. series 6261 Frlill-ll .! I It (in it 71 k:i (.Kiiii-M 75.24 (.H (ill 15 77. IIH IK (.or, 87.31 Pin J I T series ETC 4 6 DK'II-I I KltTll II KH7II-II .H7d II ;H7!I -15 1 1 1 70 15 Plus FKT VISA PtssiStfsa 276-1571 If tnstfsttsi 567-C523
