EIGHT MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 23, 1955
(Editor's note: The proposed annexation of some 3,000 acres east,
south and west of Medford has evoked considerable controversy in and
around Medford, and the debate on the pros and cons of the proposal is
continuing. Prior to the election on July 5, it is the hope of the Mail Tribune
that all aspects of the plan can be presented publicly. Several views are pre
sented on these pages today. One article has been prepared by Guy Corliss,
chairman of the board of directors of the Charlotte Ann Water district,
who gives the basis for his opposition to the measure. His arguments are
representative of a number of those who oppose the plan. Another article
is based on information furnished by city officials mostly in response to
Corliss' article. A third reports questions raised by a committee opposing
"mass annexation," and a fourth reports a talk by Mayor Earl Miller in
which he states that no one is trying to "high pressure" a favorable vote,
but points out that the problems involved are serious ones for everyone involved.)
'Mass Annexation' Opposed by
Group of Residents; List of
Questions Proposed for Study
A committee of residents op
nosed to "mass annexation"
plans of the city has invited city
officials, residents of the affected
area, and others interested, to a
meeting on the subject in the
courthouse auditorium at 8 p.m.,
Tuesday, June 28.
Committee chairman is Char
les Bennett, Marshall ave., and
secretary is Linna Dunivent.
Peach st. Other members are
M. D. Borough, Meyers Lane;
Carol Hays, Kings Highway; Joy
Swartsley, Jane rd.; Lee Hobbs,
West Main st., and George Fra
zier, Murphy rd. Van Dyke and
Dellenback, attorneys, repre
sent the group.
A list of questions has been
prepared by the group to be
distributed to residents within
the proposed annexation area,
and those attending the Tuesday
meeting.
The questions are:
(1) Do you want city life?
(2) Were you consulted on
mass annexation before bound- city hall for permit, conformity
aries were set and present pro
posals submitted?
(3) What additional advant
ages in sanitation facilities ac
crue to the property owners
through annexation which are
not available through the pro
visions of the Lowry bill?
(4) Do you know how the city
ordinances will affect your coun
try style of living?
(5) Do you realize that re
gardless of present representa
tions, the city council has the
power to change your means of
livelihood?
(6) Do you realize that no lo
cal governments are made after
annexation without petition?
(7) Does anyone known when,
what, where or how any of the
so-called benefits or improve
ments will occur?
(8) Do you realize that after
annexation you can't alter: your
electric facilities, water lines,
buildings, fences or other im
provements without going to the :
to code, and inspection?
(9) Do you know that a 20
mill levy means a tax change
of $20 for each $1,000 of asses
sed valuation? Have you figured
such a millage against your
new assessed valuation?
(10) Can you afford proposed
improvements such as streets,
sewer, water, street lights, and
increased taxes?
(11) Have you determined if
this annexation will divide your
property?
(12) Do you realize that your
property after annexation im
mediately becomes liable for
bonded debt of 3V million, as
well as remaining subject to
bonds and assessments already
on your property?
(13) What are you going to do
with your livestock, poultry,
pets, orchards, and other agri
cultural lands?
(14) Do you want to be subject
to the whims of Medford city
government?
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Only Medford Residents Can
Decide on Annexation, Mayor
Points Out; Reasons Listed
Only the residents of South
Medford can decide in an elec
tion July 5 whether or not they
wish more than 3,000 acres an
nexed to the city of Medford.
Mayor Earl Miller has pointed
out that annexation will be "en
tirely up to the people in the
area."
If annexation is approved,
City Manager Robert Duff said,
it will be necessary for the city
to underwrite the area for seve
ral years before enough revenue
is realizd from South Medford to
financially support city services
after annexation.
No 'Bonanxa'
"Annexation will be no bonan
za to the city," Duff said. "It
will take a large outlay to pro
vide city services" in the area.
No Connection
Duff said the city election
July 5 for approval on an excess
over the 6 per cent limitation
has no direct connection with
annexation, and added that city
levies will not be administered
in the area before fiscal year
1956-57 if annexation is ap
proved. Mayor Miller said recently the
city "is not after money from
the area," rather the city desires
planned development in a rapid
ly expanding 'area, to provide
city services which should be ex
tended into fringe areas, and to
correct as soon as possible ad
verse sanitary conditions.
Proposal Publicized
Annexation received its first
publicity March 15, when ap
proximate boundaries were list
ed in a Mail Tribune news story.
Boundaries were listed again
June 1, following a council
meeting at which annexation
ordinances were adopted. Offi
cial city description of boundar
ies and ordinances calling for
elections in the area will have
been published the required four
times in four weeks prior to the
election, Duff said.
Insurance rates quoted in an
earlier Mail Tribune story were
based on rates according to the
Oregon Insurance Rating bureau,
Duff said.
Rates Listed
Rates on a frame house with
composition roof in the Medford
Rural Fire district are 60 cents
per $100 for buildings and 64
cents per $100 for contents if
the residence is within 500 feet
of a fire hydrant. On a three
year policy with $6,000 insur
ance on the building and $2,000
on its contents, the rate would
be $48.80, or $16.26 per year, as
stated in the earlier story.
Duff said rating bureau fig
ures on insurance for residences
not within 500 feet of a fire hy
drant and in the Medford Rural
Fire district are 70 cents per
$100 for the building and 74
cents per $100 for contents.
City rates, based on bureau
figures, Duff said, are 40 cents
per $100 for the building, and
50 cents per $100 for contents.
Based on $6,000 for building in
surance and $2,000 contents in
surance, city rates would be
$37.60 for three years, and
$12.53 for one year.
Duff said he did not know
where Guy Corliss obtained in
surance rate figures he quoted in
a story which appears elsewhere
on this page.
Millage Figures Correct
Duff said millage figures
quoted by Corliss were correct,
and that levies after annexation
would, based on present valua
tion, increase 17.6 mills. He
pointed out, however, that Cor
liss apparently did not take into
consideration less expensive wat
er and .sanitation monthly
charges should the area be annexed.-
Charges for water and sani
tation will be considerably less4!
than residents of the areas now
pay if annexation is approved,
Duff said. The cost of 8,000 gal
lons of water, which is the aver
age amount used in the proposed
annexation . area, is $1.92 per
month and $23.04 per year in
side the city. In surrounding
water district, the same amount
of water costs Charlotte Ann
Water district residents $4.50
monthly or $43.80 annually.
Costs on the same amount of
water in other districts are:
Jacksonville, $4.15 monthly,
$49.80 annually; Kings Highway
district, $4.25 monthly, $51 an
nually; Myers Lane district,
$3.65 monthly, $43.80 annually;
and for individual users, $3.65
monthly, $43.80 annually.
Savings On Water
Duff pointed out individual
savings on water charges, in
those district would be: $30.96
annually in Charlotte Ann:
$26.76 annually in Jacksonville
district; $27.96 annually in
Kings Highway district; $20.76
annually in Myers Lane district;
and for individual users, $20.76
annually.
The figures, Duff said, were
compiled by water commission
employees on the basis of an
average use of 8,000 gallons per
month.
Duff said sanitary service
charges also would decrease if
the area is annexed.
District portions annexed,
Duff said, would remain respon
sible for indebtedness if annexa
tion is approved, and pointed out
that future improvements would
be done by petition to the city
council. -Can
Be Bancrofted
Water main, sewer line and
street improvements, Duff said,
may be assessed over a 10-year
period under the Bancroft act
with 20 semi-annual payments.
Areas such as Berrydale and
others north of the city will be
considered for annexation in the
near future, Duff said. City offi
cials, he said, planned South
Medford annexation first be
cause it was more rapidly de
veloping, and if annexation is
approved, South Medford an
nexation will be used as a guide
for annexing areas north of the
city.
Duff pointed out that as the
assessed valuation of the area
increases, levies would decrease
because of a larger tax base. As
an example, Duff assumed an
assessed valuation of a district
at $500,000, and with a tax levy
of 4.1 mills. If half the district is
annexed, the levy would remain
the same. However, if the an
nexed half developed enough to
increase the district's assessed
valuation to $1,000,000, then
the tax levy would be only 2.05
mills.
One-Tenth of Total
The South Medford area, Duff
said, has an assessed valuation
of about $1,700,000, which is
about one-tenth of Medford's
present assessed valuation of
$19,680,863.
Mayor Miller has pointed out
that the Metropolitan Sanitary
District authority would take
too long to correct many sani
tary conditions fringing Med
ford, but added that it would be
effective. He said annexation is
believed to be the most efficient
and quickest means of coping
with an acute problem.
JOURNALIST DIES .
Tokyo (U.R) The Tokyo
Shimbun today announced the ,
death, of Yeisuke Fukuda, its
president and one of the out
standing figures in Japanese
journalism. He was 75 years old.
Doctors attributed death to palsy
complicated by pneumonia.
Portland (U.R) Civil Air pa
trql cadets from all parts of
Oregon were to take part today;
in an orientation ride in a C-124
Globemaster, the biggest U.S.
operational transport plane.
Some 114 cadets, including' 26
girls, were to tour western Ore
gon including a flight along the
beaches. :
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Contract Signed for
Underground Center
Portland U.R) Final ar
rangements have been made for
the construction of a $500,000
underground communication and
filtering center here.
Mayer Fred Peterson and A.
V. Petersen of the construction
company bearing his name sign
ed final contracts yesterday.
The federal government will pay
half of the final cost.
The building, 70 by 140 feet,
will house the city, government
and provide communications in
the event of enemy attack. '
LAKE AREA
Duluth Lake Superior, larg
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area of about 31,820 square
miles.
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