Counties eye outcome of key ballot measures
2007 is an off-year for initiatives and referendums in most states, but voters in the Pacific Northwest will consider several ballot measures on Nov. 6 that will affect counties — positively and negatively.
Of the 22 states that have initiative and popular referendum authority, only two allow ballot measures in odd years, according to the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California: Oregon and Washington.
Oregon voters revisit property-rights issue
Oregon’s voters will have two measures to consider. Measure 49 would revise a controversial property-rights measure that voters passed by a wide margin three years ago. Passed in 2004, Measure 37 requires governments to pay land owners when land-use regulations reduce their property value, or to forgo enforcement of those regulations. Claims for compensation or waivers can be filed at the city, county or state level; some counties have been inundated with claims.
“The major impact so far has been the administration of the claims, which in one county at least approached 1,000,” said Mike McArthur, executive director, Association of Oregon Counties (AOC).
Measure 49 would allow property owners who filed Measure 37 claims to build homes as compensation for land-use regulations enacted after they acquired their properties. It also extends homebuilding rights to surviving spouses, and claimants can transfer their rights to new owners, a right not clearly articulated in Measure 37.
Raising tobacco tax for healthy kids
Measure 50 would raise Oregon’s cigarette tax by 84.5 cents per pack (the same as neighboring Washington’s) to provide health care for children, low-income adults and other medically underserved Oregonians, and to fund tobacco prevention and education programs. McArthur said, its passage could be a boon for counties.
“Because we’re the deliverers of public health services, that would mean additional resources for the services that counties are providing on behalf of the state,” he said — “not to mention the negative effect it may have on the smoking population.”
Washington initiative complicates tax hikes
In Washington, Initiative 960 (I-960) would require a super-majority (two-thirds) for the State Legislature to approve tax increases; otherwise, the measures would go to the voters. A constitutional amendment will also be on the ballot to allow school levies to pass by a simple majority vote.
Deborah Wilke, executive director of the Washington Association of County Officials (WACO), said I-960 would “hamstring” elected officials. “The way I understand it, it would affect not only the legislature but also other governmental entities, so that every single [tax- or fee-increasing] measure would have to go on the ballot.”
At the county level, this would affect fees set by the state that are collected by county clerks and auditors, she said. “If we didn’t get a two-thirds majority, then we would be required to go for voter approval, and it’s just horribly expensive and cumbersome.” It would not affect the county’s ability to raise purely local taxes and fees.
Wilke fears government paralysis: “Any time they couldn’t reach a two-thirds majority in the legislature and would have to go for a vote of the people — basically nothing would get done. You couldn’t even increase fees to keep up with the cost of providing services.”
An editorial in Washington’s Daily Olympian newspaper said the measure is “murky, expensive, mired in bureaucracy and might be unconstitutional.”
Amendment addresses school tax levies
A proposed constitutional amendment (Engrossed House Joint Resolution 4202), “would provide for approval of school district excess property tax levies by simple majority vote of participating voters,” according to the secretary of state’s office. It would also eliminate the requirement of a supermajority based on turnout in previous elections.
Bob Carlton, a property tax expert with WACO, said school districts have been successful in passing special levies under the current requirement of 60 percent voter approval. With the threshold lowered to a simple majority, he said, the fear is that there will be “a public backlash” and voters will “flat refuse” to pass any tax-related legislation.
“Worst case scenario, you could have a very small percentage of voter turnout controlling what is about 30 percent of their tax bill.”
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger (center) and Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado (right) show off the new Cook County Prescription Drug Discount Card at a news conference announcing the launch of the program Sept. 20. Also pictured is Larry Naake (left), NACo executive director.
Cook County, Ill. is the latest county to join NACo’s popular program, which is growing at a rate of 10 — 15 counties a week. More than 860 counties now participate in the program with 4.25 million filled prescriptions at an average savings of 22 percent.
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