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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 2018)
6A • November 9, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com LOCAL RACES AND BALLOT MEASURES Voters say ‘not now’ to expansion plan Bond for aquatic facility expansion By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal Sunset Park and Recre- ation District voters gave thumbs down to a $20 mil- lion bond to expand rec- reation facilities. About two-thirds of the electorate opposed the measure to fund the expansion of the aquatic facility and provide indoor recreation space at the Sunset Pool, opened in 1977. The ballot measure called for construction of a rec- reation center featuring an SUNSET EMPIRE PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT Rendering of the proposed aquatic center expansion. indoor gym space, indoor walking track, group fitness, weight room and cardio- vascular rooms, with added parking, site improvements and additional changing ar- eas. The funds would have ex- panded preschool and youth program space, group fitness space, indoor walking track and gymnasium space to improve overall community health. The estimated tax rate for the bonds was estimated at 70 cents per $1,000 prop- erty value, or $140 annually for a home with an assessed value of $200,000. During the course of the campaign, city councilors and members of the public asked for a focus on improve- ments on the current facility rather than “unnecessary ex- pansion.” Residents resisted a new financial obligation so shortly after the passage of a $99.7 million bond for a new Seaside School Dis- trict campus in the Southeast Hills, designed to move en- dangered schools out of the tsunami zone. Others felt the cost was excessive. On Tuesday night, the dis- trict’s executive director Sky- ler Archibald said the organi- zation has strived to meet the needs of residents and guests by providing high-quality recreation programs and fa- cilities. “While the results of Measure 4-196 are not what we were hoping for, we’ll continue to work to meet those needs,” Archibald said. “Throughout our process, we have repeatedly heard from our residents of the need for more indoor recreation space to increase community health and wellness. The district will be proactive in seeking out opportunities to provide that space both for the interim and for the perpetual future.” After three tries, voters back Mitchell wins state House race a new Clatsop County Jail Campaign to replace Boone A $20 million bond to expand to Warrenton By Edward Stratton The Daily Astorian By Jack Heffernan The Daily Astorian Voters on Election Day approved a $20 million bond to relocate the overcrowded Clatsop County Jail in Asto- ria to an expanded facility in Warrenton. Two previous bond mea- sures, in 2002 and 2012, had failed, but law enforcement saw a rare opportunity to up- grade when the state closed the North Coast Youth Correc- tional Facility last year. “Oh, hell yes,” Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said when asked if he had seen the election results moments after they were released. “I’m very grateful to the people of Clatsop County for realizing this is an absolute ne- cessity for the integrity of the county,” he said. DLR Group, a Port- land-based architecture firm, was hired to conduct a $51,000 feasibility study on converting the former youth facility. The firm presented plans that ranged from a $12 million option with capacity for 140 inmates to $28 million with 200 inmates. Citing relatively inexpen- sive operating costs, the coun- ty commission settled on a design that calls for 148 beds with room for future expan- sion. The 38-year-old jail on Duane Street can hold 60 in- mates. Several inmates each week are released from the jail while their court cases are on- going because of overcrowd- ing. Local law enforcement leaders cited several studies that reveal the need for a new jail. The 2017 Oregon Uni- COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN A $20 million bond will support a new jail at the former North Coast Youth Correctional Facil- ity in Warrenton. ‘This bond takes unique advantage of the still ‘fresh’ bones of the OYA facility, without which the project could have cost the taxpayers double.’ Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis form Crime Report, for exam- ple, ranked the county first in behavioral crimes and crimes against people and fifth in property crimes. Some, though, questioned how the jail bond would fare, considering that school bonds in Astoria and Warrenton and another measure to expand the Sunset Empire Park and Rec- reation District’s fitness and aquatic centers were also on the ballot. “I was cautiously optimis- tic, to put it lightly,” Bergin said. Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer and the City Com- mission took no position on the jail bond. The mayor said that while he saw the need for a new jail, he was hesitant to ask residents for more money with the Warrenton-Hammond School District’s $38.5 mil- lion bond also on the ballot. “This bond takes unique advantage of the still ‘fresh’ bones of the OYA facility, without which the project could have cost the taxpayers double,” Clatsop County Dis- trict Attorney Josh Marquis said in an email. “Yet some, like Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer, refused to take a position, like many I guess, hoping that we could just whistle through stats showing the highest violent crime rates reported by the Oregon Crimi- nal Justice System.” The sheriff said the differ- ence in this year’s bond mea- sure was that officials had a more established plan that was meant to keep costs down. “I know we did our due dil- igence the past two years,” he said. Bergin has said a new jail would offer better men- tal health treatment options. While Amy Baker, the execu- tive director of Clatsop Behav- ioral Healthcare, decried the tendency to fund incarceration over mental health services, she supported the bond. Bak- er said the current jail is “in- humane” and that a new one could offer more opportunities to provide treatment. To pay for increased jail operating costs, the county passed a 1 percent lodging tax. Bergin said the tax was fair since a large share of people arrested in the county come from other areas. Local ho- teliers, however, vehemently opposed the tax. Bergin said the next step is for architects and county offi- cials to discuss a timeline for construction in Warrenton. “I’m sure it’ll take a few months to get that all sorted out and move forward,” he said. Kerry Smith wins; Gearhart OKs pot tax Gearhart from Page 1A When Oregon voters le- galized recreational marijua- na sales in 2014, the state im- posed a 17 percent sales tax and gave cities and counties the option to add an addition- al 3 percent if approved by voters. The county considered the tax in 2016, but no recre- ational dispensaries existed outside city limits at the time. Staff estimates the tax, ap- plied to dispensaries outside city limits, would generate $50,000 in revenue annually, county staff estimated. Gearhart pot tax Gearhart also sought to align itself with Oregon statute as voters considered Measure 4-199, designed to amend the city’s taxes on sales of marijuana products. COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN A clerk returns a jar of marijuana to a shelf after helping a customer at Sweet Relief in Astoria. Unofficial results showed more than 70 percent of vot- ers approving the 3 percent tax on the sale of cannabis products. Gearhart was among a few cities to vote in a tax prior to the legalization of recreation- al cannabis. In 2014, shortly before the state’s voters ap- proved Measure 91, the city passed an ordinance requiring a 10 percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana and a 5 percent tax for a medical mar- ijuana registry cardholder. After legalization, the state established a 17 percent tax on marijuana and limited lo- cal taxes to 3 percent. Cities may not tax medical marijua- na sales. With a 10 percent tax al- ready in place, Gearhart city councilors had the option of defending the tax in court or asking voters to approve a 3 percent tax. The measure would ap- prove the Gearhart ordinance imposing a 3 percent tax on the sale of recreational mari- juana in the city by a licensed marijuana retailer. The tax would be collected at the point of sale and remitted by the marijuana retailer. The measure also includes pro- visions regarding collection, administration and enforce- ment of the tax. Tiffiny Mitchell kept state House District 32 in Demo- cratic hands on Tuesday, de- feating Republican Vineeta Lower to replace the retiring state Rep. Deborah Boone. “I ran my race the old-fashioned way, on vot- ers’ doorsteps, talking to them about the things that most impact their lives,” Mitchell said in a release. “Volunteers for my cam- paign knocked on more than 15,000 doors, and I personal- ly knocked over 7,000. I plan to bring that same neighborly work ethic to Salem to tack- le the biggest issues that our community faces.” Mitchell, a state social services worker, scored an upset victory in May in a tight Democratic primary against Tim Josi, a Tilla- mook County commissioner and former state represen- tative backed by regional industries and incumbents, including Boone, D-Cannon Beach, and state Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose. Josi came in third after John Orr, a local attorney and employ- ee of Trails End Recovery. Lower, a teacher, faced no challengers in the Repub- lican primary. Josi crossed the political aisle after losing in the primary and endorsed Lower, who eventually picked up many of his back- ers in local industry, along with state Republicans. “Even though the results tonight weren’t what we were hoping for, I will always re- main committed to serving our community,” Lower said in a statement. “I’d like to congratulate Tiffiny on her victory and hope that she will be committed to representing the unique and diverse inter- ests of our district. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone that helped our campaign. I’ll always be thankful for their support.” Independent Brian Hal- vorsen and Libertarian Ran- dell Carlson were a distant third and fourth. While Lower ’s campaign was backed largely by Tiffiny business Mitchell interests, M i t c h e l l ’s support came primarily from labor unions, along with en- vironmental and women’s groups. The Service Em- ployees International Union — Mitchell’s union — pro- vided her largest donations. Nearly half of her financial support came in the form of in-kind contributions from groups campaigning on her behalf. Mitchell focused her campaign on popular pro- gressive social issues such as making health care and hous- ing more affordable, while raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to provide more revenue. Lower centered her cam- paign on improving infra- structure and education, but provided few policy specif- ics. Boone’s decision not to run for re-election after 14 years in office created a competitive campaign for the open seat. The House Dis- trict 32 race attracted more cash contributions than the $272,000 combined over the past three election cycles, ac- cording to the National Insti- tute on Money in Politics, a nonprofit tracking campaign finance. Mitchell took in about $260,000 worth of cash do- nations as of Tuesday, along with $240,000 worth of in- kind contributions. Lower gathered $118,500 in cash to go with $64,500 worth of in- kind contributions. Josi had gathered more than $113,000 in cash in the primary, while Orr’s campaign took in less than $20,000. Neither Halvorsen nor Randell recorded any contri- butions. Johnson, meanwhile, sailed to re-election Tuesday against Constitution Party candidate Ray Biggs from Columbia City in state Sen- ate District 16. Mayor, councilors keep their seats Seaside from Page 1A Montero, a councilor since 2010, touted council accomplishments during the campaign, and cited the need for continued work on workforce housing, home- lessness, city infrastructure, emergency preparedness and quality of life. Phillips, elected in 2010, said she was proud of oppor- tunities to assist residents when they have had issues and raised concerns, citing her advocacy for those seek- ing parking access for peo- ple with disabilities. Wright moved from Gresham to Seaside in 2014. He worked 35 years for an international grain exporter, retiring as chief financial of- ficer in 2013. Wright said he will continue to work with the mayor and other coun- cilors to achieve the goals set by the council in early 2017.
