'Pressure' Disclaimed
On City's Annexation
Proposal; 'No Malice'
The city of Medford "is not
trying to high pressure anyone"
in the July 5 annexation elec
tion. Mayor Earl Miller declared
yesterday in a talk to Medford
Kiwanians at Rogue Valley
Country club.
"There ia no Idea of malice
or forcing anyone to do any
thing not for his own benefit,"
Miller said. Residents in a huge
area east, south and west of
Medford will ballot on the pro
posal to bring their properties
within the city limits.
SOC President
Announces List
Of Consultants
Ashland Dr. Elmo N. Steven
ion, president of Southern Ore
gon college, has announced the
names of members of the SOC
faculty who will be available
during the school year 1955-56
to act as consultants for clemen--tary
school inservice workshops
throughout southern Oregon.
They include:
Arithmetic Dr. Bill A. Samp
son, associate professor of edu
cation, and Miss Bertha Ste
phens, assistant professor of edu
cation.
Child Growth and Develop
ment Dr. Phyllis Plichta, pro
fessor of education.
Finance and Administration
Dr. Sampson. ,
Intermediate methods Clar
ence Diebel, associate professor
of science; David F. Hill, assist
ant professor of education; Rich
ard Leigh, instructor in educa
tion; Miss Gladys Owen, assist
ant professor of education; and
Arthur Phillips, assistant pro
fessor of education, t
Language arts reading Dr.
Plichta.
Methods of learning Dr.
Loren Messenger, professor of
psychology.
Primary methods Dorothea
Bushnell, assistant professor of
education; Dawn Gwaltney, in
structor in education; Dorothy
Masters, instructor in education;
and Kathryn Smith, assistant
professor of education.
Science Dr. Stevenson and
Diebel.
Social sciences Florence Al
len, assistant professor: of edu
cation; Dr. Alva Graham, pro
fessor of education; and Dr. John
McAulay, director of teacher
education and professor of edu
cation. '
Spelling Miss Stephens.
Thursday, Jun 23. 1955
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUHT-If OH
Water District Spokesman Argues Against Annexation
COPTERS ORDERED
Paris (U.R) France has or
dered eight Sikorsky helicopters
from the United States to help
combat the rebel "Army of Al
lah" in North Africa, author
ized sources said today.
WEATHER By United Prcu
Northern California: Mostly
fair through Friday but thun
dershowers likely extreme
northern mountains today.
Miller listed annexation of ad
jacent areas as the most pressing
of four major problems facing
the city. The others are traffic.
an off-street parking system, and
financing.
The election will let the peo
ple in the areas involved decide
for themselves on the annexa
tion matter, the mayor brought
out. But he stressed that the city
has a lot to gain and that the
election vitally concerns the
economy of Medford. Unless the
land is annexed and subdivided
under proper city standards,
"we'll have a hodgepodge we'll
not be able to unravel or control
for years to come," Miller as
serted. Outlines Growth
The mayor outlined the
growth of the city to a communi
ty of some 20,800 inhabitants
and of the county to a popula
tion of around 70,800 people. All
first class sites within the city
limits have been built upon, he
reported. He spoke of the growth
and development in the urban
districts around Medford and
stressed the health hazard
arizing from drainage and septic
tank problems in those sections
"It is our problem as well as the
people's in the urban districts,"
Miller stated.
Other factors involved, Mil
ler said, are armory construc
tion, the proposed large hospi
tal and projected shopping cent
ers. These will need sewer and
water, and unless the areas are
annexed sanitary and water dis
tricts must be formed. He ex-'i
pressed the opinion that dis
tricts are not the answer, and he
ventured the belief that over
lapping districts are paying a
lot more now for services and
utilities than they would if they
were inside the city. He also
pointed out that improvements
in a section of town are not made
unless residents of the area peti
tion them.
Unexpected Opposition
jvinier reported that the an
nexation proposal has met with
more opposition than had been
anticipated. He said the reason,
primarily, is that people do not
understand the proper facts of
taxation and zoning.
The area has been divided in
to three precincts, Miller said.
If the election for the whole area
does not carry, but is approved
in a particular precinct, the pro
posal can be brought before that
precinct alone in a later elec
tion, the mayor indicated.
Mayor Miller also discussed
the proposal to exceed the 6 per
cent limit by $68,510 in the next
city, budget, and he urged Med
ford residents to go to the polls
on July 5 to cast their vote one
way "or the other on the finance
issue. He described the amount
as small per capita and said that
the surplus carried over from
the war years is now down to
$23,000 "which is not enough'."
Kiwanians also heard reports
from Greg Milpes, Rodney Ol
son, Dick Guches and Jim Plet
sch on this year's Beaver Boys
State.
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101 S. Riverside
Phone 2-6882
By GUY CORLISS
Chairman, CharlotU Ann Waiar
District
The city of Medford's so call
ed "invitation for annexation"
of an area south of Medford on
close analysis looks more like
an attempt to "strong arm" it
into the city.
It is interesting to note that
the first publication stating ex
actly which area was to be "in
vited" didn't appear until the
first of June with the election
scheduled for the 5th of July,
barely giving time for the four
required weekly publications re
quired by law before an elec
tion to annex an area. Could this
by any chance mean that they
are afraid the voters won't ac
cept their kind "invitation" if
they are given time to ponder
the matter, or that they don't
want any unregistered voters in
the area to have a chance to
register 30 days before the elec
tion as they would have to in
order to vote?
Vote on Measur
Now we know that Medford
needs additional tax money, for
on the same day of the proposed
annexation vote the city is vot
ing on a measure to exceed the
6 per cent limitation and
broaden their tax base. This
attempt to force an area of
farms, orchards and outlying in
dustries into the city to grab
their tax money seems not only
unfair but borders on the ridi
culous. There are one or two thickly
settled areas near Medford
which have small enough lots
of land that they could afford to
pay additional taxes to the city
and who also need water and
sewer facilities. Apparently it is
these small thickly settled areas
which the city is depending on
to vote in the areas of larger
farms, areas which have already
made provision for water, sewer
facilities and fire protection,
and which will still be obligated
to pay for them even though the
city would succeed to owner
ship of all water mains, meters,
services and fire hydrants in the
annexed area, except operations
of the remainder of those facili
ties necessary for the operation
of the district.
Sees 'Discrepancies'
There seem to be several dis
crepancies in the facts and fig
ures presented by city officials
in the June 12 article in the
Medford Mail Tribune. It quotes
an average of $16.25 paid for
fire insurance by residents with
in 500 feet of a fire hydrant.
Upon checking, I find the rate
to be $4.80 a thousand for three
years insurance for a block or
brick building with composition
roof or $5.20 a thousand for
three years insurance for a wood
frame house. This area falls in
to the same insurance rate zone
that Medford had. prior to the
construction of their new fire
station and the rate is still very
little more than the rate apply
ing to residents of Medford.
As an example of the so-called
small differences in taxes be
tween rural areas and the city
of Medford, the county tax levy
consists of 5.9 mills whereas the
city levy is 22.8 mills as of this
year. However if the people of
Medford approve the measure to
exceed the 6 per cent limitation
and broaden their tax base the
Medford levy will increase to
approimately 25.8 mills.
Examples Cited
The following are'some typical
examples of the differences be
tween levies paid in the area
proposed for annexation at the
present tune and the approxi
mate amount that would be paid
in case of annexation. The only
levy 4hat will be .removed in
case of annexation is the 5.2 levy
in effect for the rural fire dis
trict.
Example 1 one-half acre
rural.
Present Millage Levy.
Code 49-9 Mills
School No. 9 - 39.5
County - 5.9
Charlotte Ann Water - 4.1
S. Bear Cr. Sanitary 4.9
Medford Fire 5.2
Total 59.6
Levy After Annexation
Mills
School No. 49 39.5
County 5.9
Charlotte Ann Water .. 4.1
S. Bear Cr. Sanitary - 4.9
City of Medford 22.8
Total 77.2
Increase after annexation . . .
17.6 mills.
Example 2 20 acre farm
Present Millage Levy
Cod 4-6 Mills
Rural School
School No. 4 ....
County
Medford Fire
Charlotte Ann Water
S. Bear Cr. Sanitary
51.4
13.2
5.9
5.2
4.1
4.9
84.7
Total
Levy After Annexation
Mills
Rural School 51.4
School No. 4 13.2
County ; 5.9
Charlotte Ann Water 4.1
S. Bear Cr. Sanitary .. 4.9
City of Medford ' 22.8
Total 102.3
Increase after annexation . . .
17.6 mills.
According to these figures I
think we can safely assume that
cur taxes would increase at least
one third even before paying for
additional improvements.
Take Over Facilities
The city of Medford suddenly
appears to be greatly concerned
over health hazards in this area.
Now that much of the area has
obligated itself to a bonded in
debtednes for water and sewer
lines the city would gladly take
over these facilities however
residents of the area should not
expect extensive improvements
immediately as it will require
some time to provide adequate
service to the area, according to
Mayor Miller.
He stated that water main in
stallations and street improve
ments in the area would be done
when petitions signed by proper
ty owners desiring improve
ments are submitted to the city
council.
If the property owners suc
ceeded in getting any of these
improvements I suppose they
would be paid for on the front
foot basis, making it rather ex
pensive for people owning large
acreages of land. I understand
that the city requires payments
to be completed within a short
time limit, whereas if the same
improvements are made by peo
ple residing in a rural water or
sanitation district the payments
are spread over a 20 years per
iod with the bonded indebted
ness being paid from 3 sources:
(1) taxes, (2) connect fees, (3)
income.
Asked to Pay
In the case of the Charlotte
Ann Water District and Bear
Creek Sanitary District the city
proposes to take over the largest
part of our water and sanitary
districts for which the property
owners are bonded to the ex
tent of $158,000. In return they
ask us to pay off the bonded in
debtedness while they take over
all connect fees, profits from
sale of water and taxes on in
creased valuation of district.
Were they to take over the
complete water and sanitary dis
tricts state laws says they would
have to assume the indebtedness,
but they also know the law and
have carefully excluded a small
part.
I have no objections to some
areas in the proposed annexa
tion being voted into the city
if they so desire, but I do ob
ject to the gerrymandering
which will force other areas in
at the same time.
Why Not Other Areas
The city officials have assured
us that the proposed annexation
is not just for the benefit of the
city but for the good of the peo
ple in the area to be annexed
to protect our health by giving
us pure water and adequate
sewage disposal facilities and to
give us better streets, roads, po
lice and fire protection. In view
of this I wonder why some areas
closely adjacent to Medford such
as Berrydale, which is badly in
need of sewage disposal facili
ties, are left out of the plans,
while other areas such as the
Charlotte Ann District, which
has already made its own ar
rangements for sewage disposal
and fire protection, are to be
taken in.
Were it not for the fact that
I know these city officials to be
honorable men I would almost
suspect that they were more in
terested in the tax money from
rapidly developing industrial
areas than in our health and
welfare.
State Police Available
As for police protection I
think most of us can feel com
paratively safe with just the
protection we get from the State
Police and the County Sheriff.
Mayor Miller stated that one
of their objectives in taking h
the proposed area was to lay
cut uniform streets before there
is too much growth in the out
lying areas.
If streets are laid out uni
formly and of a 60 foot width
according to city standards, they
would cut through some homes
already built in this area. Sup
pose one of these streets should
go through your property and
50 per cent of the people should
ask for paving. On an acre of
ground at $8 a front foot for
each half it would amount to
$16 a front foot times approxi
mately 200 feet frontage or a
total of $3,200. On a five acre
place at $16 a front foot for
approximately 1000 feet it
would cost the property owner
$16,000.
There are many homes in
Medford proper at the present
time who are still depending on
Septic tanks for sewage disposal.
There are also rough streets and
streets having no sidewalks.
What Assurance?
People have asked me what
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Moscow-trained leader of Com
munist Viet Minh, arrived in
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first leg of a tour that will take
him to Soviet Russia Peiping
Radio reported.
assurance we would have of
getting such improvements as
good streets, .water, sewage
lines and sidewalks if we were
taken into the city when they
haven't yet secured them for all
people in the present city limits.
To this I can only answer, "I
don't know."
it seems the only way we can
be assured of these improve
ments is to form our own dis
tricts outside the city over
which we can maintain control
and see to it that we get the
desired improvements, rather
than turning all authority over
to the city and hoping they will
give them to us.
As long as we are outside the
city ' the new State Municipal
Sanitary District Law would pro
tect our interests in getting sani
tary facilities, but once within
the city we have no recourse but
to sit and wait, hoping the city
council will .some day get
around to seeing that we have
these improvements.
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