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Measure 50 gives out tax bases
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HEPPNER
50 <
imes
As a result of Ballot Measure
50, Morrow County has, in
effect, been granted a new
permanent $4 million tax base.
According to Morrow County
Judge Louis Carlson and Morrow
County Assessor Greg Sweek,
because of BM50, the county's
$4 million one-year serial levy
will now be permanent, unless
voters amend or repeal Ballot
Measure 50 in the future.
County voters have defeated
increases to the county's $1
million tax base since it was
voted in around 1911. Morrow
County
Clerk
Barbara
Bloodsworth says that an
increased tax base has been put
up before the voters about every
other year since she began
working for the county in 1968.
According to information
released by the Oregon State
Legislative Revenue Office, for
1997-98 the county would have
received $4,018, 091 in tax
collections under Ballot Measure
5; $3,427,717 under Ballot
Measure 47; and will receive
$3,518,506 with compression
under BM50.
Compression is the method by
which each taxing district gets a
proportionate amount of tax
monies under the Ballot Measure
5 taxing cap of $10 per thousand
assessed valuation.
Morrow County Judge Louis
Carlson said, however, that the
county has had to trim around
$450,000 from their budget and
will have a hard time making
ends meet because of BM50's
three percent limitation on
valuation increases. "If the value
(of county property) declines,"
said Sweek. "They could collect
less. We've been in slumps
before. It's just a matter of time
before it happens again.”
Taxing entities were previously
able to increase their tax bases
annually
by
six
percent
automatically without a vote of
the people.
Willow Creek Park District's
three-year operating levy for the
swimming pool now under
construction in Heppner and the
Morrow
County
Unified
Recreation District's three-year
levy, to fund school athletics and
cultural programs county-wide,
will also become permanent as a
result of BM50.
Voters in 1995 passed a levy
for $36,000 a year to operate the
pool. That amount is expected to
be reduced to around $26-28
thousand
a
year
with
compression, says Willow Creek
Park District Board member Skip
Mathews.
Morrow County Unified
Recreation District passed a levy
in 1995 for $450,000 a year.
MCURD would have received
$470,638 under BM5; $401,488
under BM47; and will receive
$412,122 with compression
under BM50.
The city of Heppner, however,
did not fare so well under BM50.
The $95,000 levy city voters
passed last year to fund an
additional policeman and other
services will be negated by
BM50. The city is the only
taxing entity in the county to
receive less rather than more
under 50, as compared to 47. The
city would have received
$210,000 in tax monies under
Ballot Measure 5; $240,568
under BM47; and will receive
$184,037 under 50.
The Heppner City Council met
with
Morrow
County
Commissioners Wednesday night
to see if the county could or
would rectify the city's situation.
The commissioners stressed that
the city's loss in funds was not
caused by any action on the part
of the county and that the
county's gam of over $90
thousand was not money taken
from the city.
Heppner City Manager Gary
Marks countered by saying that
although the county's additional
funds were not technically taken
from the city, the money the city
lost was, indeed, gained by the
county.
Marks earlier testified to the
Oregon Senate Revenue Board in
Salem in hopes of rectifying the
city's situation. He said that he
believed the reinstatement of city
funds to be only a formality but
county commissioners Ray
French and John Wenholz
showed up to testify against the
city's proposal to have the funds
returned to the city's coffers and
state officials hesitated to make
any
adjustments
if they
encountered opposition.
County commissioners agreed
to unite with the city in hopes of
persuading the state revenue
committee in finding a state-wide
solution to the city's financial
problems.
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Tullís, Cannon Grand Marshals of 4th festivities
VOL. 116
NO. 26
8 Pages
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, June 25,1997
Berdine Tullis (left) and Laural Cannon to head up lone 4th
festivities
Two leaving Kinzua
Willow Creek Park District President Skip Matthews prepares to place a time capsule in the floor before concrete is
poured in the multi-use swimming pool room at the Willow Creek Park District Aquatics Center. The capsule, which
contains memorabilia, will be opened in 2050. The Willow Creek Park District Aquatic Center, under construction
now in Heppner, is expected to be completed by July 18.
Downtown project update
lone Library to
every building front so you
Project manager for the can see how their entrance
Heppner downtown renovation way will fit the new sidewalks.
project reported this week that
Anyone with questions
there is some delay in the should contact the Weaver
project.
headquarters across
from
A1 Frye o f Weaver Miller's Mini Mart. The phone
Construction said that some number is 676-5766. If Frye is
design problems with the not available ask for Hank
placement o f the storm sewers Rodman.
and sidewalk elevations are
All those who are interested
causing a slow down in work. or have concerns are also
He said these problems invited to attend the weekly
would have to be worked out meetings o f the contractors
between Weaver Const, and ‘ every Monday at 11 a.m. at
Oregon
Department
o f Yaws Restaurant.
Transportation.
It was also reported that the
Frye stressed that anyone contractor will begin work on
who anticipates a problem the shamrock symbol that will
near their business related to be placed on Main street at the
the project should contact him intersection o f Main and
right away before work goes Willow streets. Traffic will be
any further. He urged store diverted
around
that
owners to go out and talk to intersection in the near future.
the workers that may be
Other intersections and side
examining their sidewalk. The streets will periodically be
contractor will mark the closed as actual construction is
elevation o f each sidewalk on being done in that area.
I
hold reading
program
The lone Public Library will
hold its summer reading program
again this year. This year’s theme
is “Books and Beyond-Hobbies
and Interests for Life.” This
year’s scheduled activities in
clude collection development and
display, game making, lifesports,
arts and crafts, and more.
The program will be held at the
library from 9-11 a.m. each Tues
day, from Tuesday, July 8 to
Tuesday, August 12. All inter
ested children ages three to 11 are
welcome to attend this free pro
gram.
The program is also looking for
youth/adult volunteers (ages 12
and up) to help with projects and
reading activities.
For more information about the
program or volunteering, contact
Michelle Raible (after June 22) at
422-7037.
H eavy D uty
RUBBER BED MATS
For M ost Pickup Trucks — available a t
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MORROW COUNTY
GRAIN
GROWER!
Lexington 989-8221 1 -800-452-7396
Berdine Tullis and Laural
Cannon have been chosen
grand marshals o f this year's
lone
Fourth
of
July
Celebration.
Tullis, a longtime resident o f
lone, worked for the Morrow
County Extension for 20 years
is a member o f the lone Topic
and Garden clubs. She is a
master gardener.
Berdine and her husband
Garry has two sons, Mark and
Tim and three grandchildren.
Cyd, Til and Ryon.
Laural is a lifelong resident
o f lone, worked at the post
office for 21 years and is
active in the church auction,
and the lone Booster Club.
Her husband’s name is Pete
and they have two girls, Cathy
Halvorsen and Arlene Cannon,
and one boy Terry, they also
have two grand children
Allison and Ryan Halvorsen.
The lone Fourth o f July
celebration is bigger and better
than ever this year with the
addition o f the first annual
Red, White and Blues Festival.
The festival will feature the
famous Paul de Lay band,
Jimmy Lloyd Rea and the
Switchmasters, and Li'l Lynne
and the Smokin' Soles.
There will also be a parade,
games, arts and crafts fair,
with BBQ and microbrews.
Families sought
Pat Hyatt (left) and Donna Moeller leaving Kinzua
Kinzua.
Pat and Wayland have three
children a daughter Theresa
Moms, two sons Travis and Troy
and four granchildren.
Also leaving Kinzua but not
retiring is Donna Moeller.
Moeller started with Kinzua in
1986 as a log and payroll clerk.
Over the years she has done
accounts payable and been a stats
person also.
She and her husband Chuck
have purchased a home in
Hermiston and are moving there.
Chuck works for US West and
since the buyout by PTI he has
worked out of the Hermiston
office. Their daughter Lome
graduated from Heppner High
this year, and they also have one
son Mark who works for the
forest service. Chuck and Donna
moved to the Heppner from
Baker in 1976.
Moeller says she plans to look
for work in the Hermiston area.
When Pat Hyatt leaves her desk
for the last time June 30 , it will
be more than just the end of a job
■ for the long-time Kinzua
employee. It will also be the end
of a way of life.
Hyatt is one of the dwindling
number of Kinzua employees
who grew up in the shadow of
the Kinzua mill. Her father
worked for Kinzua, she lived,
grew up and met her husband in
the town of Kinzua, and she has
worked for the company for the
past forty years.
"I started with the company in
1957," says Hyatt. "I was hired
as a log and payroll clerk."
She moved to Heppner when
the Kinzua offices relocated here
in 1975 and she has been the
office manager and accountant
for the past 30 years.
She and her husband Wayland,
who retired earlier after 43 years
with Kinzua, are moving to
Sheridan where "we have a home
on the hill and we're just going to
watch the deer and the Elk, and Park D istrict
relax." she says. But not until
after she and her husband return meeting changed
from an all expense paid trip to
The July meeting of the Wil
London, courtesy of Pioneer
low
Creek Park District has been
Resources, a retirement gift from
changed
to Wednesday, July 9 at
the company that now owns
7 p.m at lone City Hall.
for exchange
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Cathy H alvorsen, lone, is
“bringing the world” to the Mor
row, Umatilla and Gilliam county
area one international student at
a time.
Halvorsen is a volunteer area
representative for ASSE Interna
tional Student Exchange, a non
profit, public benefit organiza
tion. The “primary goal of ASSE
is to contribute to international
understanding by enabling for
eign students to learn about the
United States through active par
ticipation in family, school and
community life” said a ASSE
press release.
Halvorsen will interview fami
lies in the area to host high school
students from Australia, New
Zealand, former Soviet Union re
publics and many European,
Asian, and South American coun
tries. The students stay with vol
unteer host families for an aca
demic year and arrive with com
prehensive insurance and their
own spending money.
Call Halvorsen at 422-7107 for
more information on becoming an
ASSE host family, or call 1-800-
733-2773.
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