Central School Budget Committee whittles down tax rate from the high it hit last year
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 2024
Central School District’s budget committee bounced down the tax on bond-debt service for 2024-25, returning the rate to a percentage closer to the one that preceded last year’s level, when homeowners opened their property tax bills to discover increases they didn’t expect.
Last year those bills constituted a 17% increase, observed Royal Johnson, a resident who served on the committee this year. Though there was some discussion about using a similar but lower formula this year – one that reduced the 17% down to 13%-14%, that would still be seen as “pretty substantial,” observed Johnson, a former member of the Monmouth City Council.
Instead, he submitted a motion for the lowest rate that could be undertaken, which was seconded by CSD Board Chair Donn Wahl.
Last year, taxpayers reacted strongly on social media, and in public testimony at a school board meeting, in protest of the action. An error was made – the amount that would be added to homeowners’ tax bills was seriously underestimated, Wahl noted. “We expected it to be a small increment that wasn’t going to be really that concerning to anybody,” he explained.
“I think the right thing to do at this point is to do corrective action and lower that,” Wahl said. “We made a mistake,” he added. “We promised to undo it and we are going to undo it; end of story,” Wahl asserted.
In a motion that passed with only one dissenting vote, the 2024-25 budget – with a fixed 4.8834 permanent tax rate – a 1.8936 tax rate also was approved for servicing the bond, which represents about $3.6 million to support the debt service for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Earlier, committee members briefly reviewed how past decisions on bond repayments have complicated the current picture – some previous obligations were made more than a decade ago, when there were different financial circumstances, different board members, different income amounts. In the future, taking a meticulous look at how bonds are structured will be “a very important part of the process,” stressed District Superintendent Jennifer Kubista. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 2024
Central School District’s budget committee bounced down the tax on bond-debt service for 2024-25, returning the rate to a percentage closer to the one that preceded last year’s level, when homeowners opened their property tax bills to discover increases they didn’t expect.
Last year those bills constituted a 17% increase, observed Royal Johnson, a resident who served on the committee this year. Though there was some discussion about using a similar but lower formula this year – one that reduced the 17% down to 13%-14%, that would still be seen as “pretty substantial,” observed Johnson, a former member of the Monmouth City Council.
Instead, he submitted a motion for the lowest rate that could be undertaken, which was seconded by CSD Board Chair Donn Wahl.
Last year, taxpayers reacted strongly on social media, and in public testimony at a school board meeting, in protest of the action. An error was made – the amount that would be added to homeowners’ tax bills was seriously underestimated, Wahl noted. “We expected it to be a small increment that wasn’t going to be really that concerning to anybody,” he explained.
“I think the right thing to do at this point is to do corrective action and lower that,” Wahl said. “We made a mistake,” he added. “We promised to undo it and we are going to undo it; end of story,” Wahl asserted.
In a motion that passed with only one dissenting vote, the 2024-25 budget – with a fixed 4.8834 permanent tax rate – a 1.8936 tax rate also was approved for servicing the bond, which represents about $3.6 million to support the debt service for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Earlier, committee members briefly reviewed how past decisions on bond repayments have complicated the current picture – some previous obligations were made more than a decade ago, when there were different financial circumstances, different board members, different income amounts. In the future, taking a meticulous look at how bonds are structured will be “a very important part of the process,” stressed District Superintendent Jennifer Kubista. ▪
Guest Editorial by David Cline
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 202
Introduction:
Former City Manager David Clyne was asked for a response about the city’s perspective that it is currently untenable to complete the Willamette River Trail south from the Civic Center to the city limits. Clyne had spoken publicly in support of finishing this final stretch of the trail, first at a city council meeting and then by taking the matter to the Parks & Recreation Board recently, where the concept was approved nearly unanimously by the board. Clyne pointed out the trail has long been a part of the City’s Parks Master Plan. Preliminary planning, paid for mostly through state grants, has been posted for many years on the city’s website. Clyne agreed to write an editorial on the decision – it follows, with thanks from Trammart News.
Editorial: Make Independence a “can do” city once more
By David Clyne
Unfortunately, the city has decided not to pursue this trail to completion at this time. There are lots of reasons provided. You be the judge. For me this boils down to one reason; a failure to understand the people that are served by its city government.
For decades, the City prided itself on being the “can do” City, even at the height of the Great Recession, when the new Civic Center was underway. The leadership has for decades prided itself on understanding that the community needed economic growth, great public places and the best services that could be provided.
To that end in 2013, the residents agreed in a landslide to tax themselves with a general obligation bond to preserve the remaining services they had!
It was amazing, indeed. And the City never looked back, ultimately completing the Independence Landing project that had been on the wish list for many, many years. The soccer sports complex was completed. The Willamette River Trail was extended to include the Civic Center and is by far the most popular trail segment in the city. Apartments were built and a destination hotel, long on the goals list, finally became a reality.
No more would downtown be clogged with concrete trucks and mostly empty storefronts. Instead, newcomers with more disposable income relocated to the ideal settings on the Willamette River and created a new demand and vibrancy for our small city. Independence was truly spoken of in glowing terms throughout the State. Recruiting new businesses, families and outside investment became much easier.
Then it changed . . . in the past, resources were shared fairly throughout the City’s complicated budget, assuring that all service demands were met. Turnovers in leadership at the top of the organization changed how the budget was perceived. A new, more “conservative” approach was adopted that slammed on the brakes.
Arguments were made that it was not “best practices” for so much of the demands for policing, library, recreation, museum, community engagement to be funded by utility services. The result was a funneling of historic resources away from the General Fund into the various utility funds where a massive effort has been underway to spend or commit all of it as rapidly as possible in the name of “deferred maintenance”.
As a former professional city manager and this city’s City Manager for 8 1⁄2 years, I understand the desire to budget in this fashion. It is hard to feel like you always need to play catch up during any given year. But I always reasoned that it is also very hard not to provide the services that people come to love and expect in their communities even if it means putting a strain on other facilities.
There is a balancing point that works. No Teslas or Cadillacs for any department, but a good old used Corolla will work for all. Now the Corollas are gone, and the Teslas and Caddies are appearing in abundance in Public Works.
To me, the story is that the City has lost its way. And lost its heart. Bring back the Corollas . . . please . . . and, oh yeah, please reconsider and fund the next phase of the trail.
Figure out the rest of it without raising taxes and fees. It can be done. Just reconsider who you are serving. Make Independence the “Can Do” City once more.
(The River Trail Project is on the city’s website: https://www.ci.independence.or.us/willamette-river-trail/ (project links to narrative, plan, budget and alternatives on this page). ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 202
Introduction:
Former City Manager David Clyne was asked for a response about the city’s perspective that it is currently untenable to complete the Willamette River Trail south from the Civic Center to the city limits. Clyne had spoken publicly in support of finishing this final stretch of the trail, first at a city council meeting and then by taking the matter to the Parks & Recreation Board recently, where the concept was approved nearly unanimously by the board. Clyne pointed out the trail has long been a part of the City’s Parks Master Plan. Preliminary planning, paid for mostly through state grants, has been posted for many years on the city’s website. Clyne agreed to write an editorial on the decision – it follows, with thanks from Trammart News.
Editorial: Make Independence a “can do” city once more
By David Clyne
Unfortunately, the city has decided not to pursue this trail to completion at this time. There are lots of reasons provided. You be the judge. For me this boils down to one reason; a failure to understand the people that are served by its city government.
For decades, the City prided itself on being the “can do” City, even at the height of the Great Recession, when the new Civic Center was underway. The leadership has for decades prided itself on understanding that the community needed economic growth, great public places and the best services that could be provided.
To that end in 2013, the residents agreed in a landslide to tax themselves with a general obligation bond to preserve the remaining services they had!
It was amazing, indeed. And the City never looked back, ultimately completing the Independence Landing project that had been on the wish list for many, many years. The soccer sports complex was completed. The Willamette River Trail was extended to include the Civic Center and is by far the most popular trail segment in the city. Apartments were built and a destination hotel, long on the goals list, finally became a reality.
No more would downtown be clogged with concrete trucks and mostly empty storefronts. Instead, newcomers with more disposable income relocated to the ideal settings on the Willamette River and created a new demand and vibrancy for our small city. Independence was truly spoken of in glowing terms throughout the State. Recruiting new businesses, families and outside investment became much easier.
Then it changed . . . in the past, resources were shared fairly throughout the City’s complicated budget, assuring that all service demands were met. Turnovers in leadership at the top of the organization changed how the budget was perceived. A new, more “conservative” approach was adopted that slammed on the brakes.
Arguments were made that it was not “best practices” for so much of the demands for policing, library, recreation, museum, community engagement to be funded by utility services. The result was a funneling of historic resources away from the General Fund into the various utility funds where a massive effort has been underway to spend or commit all of it as rapidly as possible in the name of “deferred maintenance”.
As a former professional city manager and this city’s City Manager for 8 1⁄2 years, I understand the desire to budget in this fashion. It is hard to feel like you always need to play catch up during any given year. But I always reasoned that it is also very hard not to provide the services that people come to love and expect in their communities even if it means putting a strain on other facilities.
There is a balancing point that works. No Teslas or Cadillacs for any department, but a good old used Corolla will work for all. Now the Corollas are gone, and the Teslas and Caddies are appearing in abundance in Public Works.
To me, the story is that the City has lost its way. And lost its heart. Bring back the Corollas . . . please . . . and, oh yeah, please reconsider and fund the next phase of the trail.
Figure out the rest of it without raising taxes and fees. It can be done. Just reconsider who you are serving. Make Independence the “Can Do” City once more.
(The River Trail Project is on the city’s website: https://www.ci.independence.or.us/willamette-river-trail/ (project links to narrative, plan, budget and alternatives on this page). ▪
Mordhorst keeps county commission seat and Beltz gains visibility with showing – both get praise
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 2024
Incumbent Polk County Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst kept his seat despite a vigorous challenge by Roxanne Beltz, a Monmouth city councilor, and they both won big in positive reviews by some county residents.
The conduct of the campaign was singled out by some at the Polk County Courthouse Wednesday. “I think you could say it went really well,” affirmed Craig Pope, chair of the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
Mordhorst defeated Beltz by garnering nearly 54% of the vote, past the margin needed to avoid a run-off. However, she clinched over 45% of the ballots. “She’s got a political future if she really wants it,” commented one of those at the courthouse.
Mordhorst, who was appointed to the board in 2019, later won the spot in a subsequent general election. Beltz ran against him in the recent primary.
She was a polite opponent throughout the race, Mordhorst said. Told that several voters said they noticed a surprising lack of mudslinging, Mordhorst stated: “We agreed we wanted to run a campaign this way.” He noted that he considers Beltz a colleague – and a hard-working public servant, a quality he admires.
The Polk County contest drew about a combined 17,000 votes for the two vying for the commission seat, almost matching the number counted for the Salem mayor’s race, in a city nearly double the population of Polk County. Mayor Chris Hoy was unseated by Julie Hoy (no relation).
As soon as it was evident Beltz had lost, she contacted Mordhorst to congratulate him on the win, she said. “I reiterated how I appreciated our working together to show how candidates with differing backgrounds and beliefs can be respectful and civil,” she said. “We both felt comfortable sharing how our experience and ideas for the county differentiated us from one another as candidates, without criticizing or trying to discredit the other.” ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 24, 2024
Incumbent Polk County Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst kept his seat despite a vigorous challenge by Roxanne Beltz, a Monmouth city councilor, and they both won big in positive reviews by some county residents.
The conduct of the campaign was singled out by some at the Polk County Courthouse Wednesday. “I think you could say it went really well,” affirmed Craig Pope, chair of the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
Mordhorst defeated Beltz by garnering nearly 54% of the vote, past the margin needed to avoid a run-off. However, she clinched over 45% of the ballots. “She’s got a political future if she really wants it,” commented one of those at the courthouse.
Mordhorst, who was appointed to the board in 2019, later won the spot in a subsequent general election. Beltz ran against him in the recent primary.
She was a polite opponent throughout the race, Mordhorst said. Told that several voters said they noticed a surprising lack of mudslinging, Mordhorst stated: “We agreed we wanted to run a campaign this way.” He noted that he considers Beltz a colleague – and a hard-working public servant, a quality he admires.
The Polk County contest drew about a combined 17,000 votes for the two vying for the commission seat, almost matching the number counted for the Salem mayor’s race, in a city nearly double the population of Polk County. Mayor Chris Hoy was unseated by Julie Hoy (no relation).
As soon as it was evident Beltz had lost, she contacted Mordhorst to congratulate him on the win, she said. “I reiterated how I appreciated our working together to show how candidates with differing backgrounds and beliefs can be respectful and civil,” she said. “We both felt comfortable sharing how our experience and ideas for the county differentiated us from one another as candidates, without criticizing or trying to discredit the other.” ▪
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