HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Public Safety Special Levy Election AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 6/25/2012
Meeting Type:Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Bob Duey, Finance
Staff Phone No: 541.726.3740
Estimated Time: 5 Minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D
C I T Y C O U N C I L
Council Goals: Strengthen Public Safety
by Leveraging
Partnerships and
Resources
ITEM TITLE: PUBLIC SAFETY SPECIAL LEVY ELECTION
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Conduct a public hearing and adopt/not adopt the following resolution A
RESOLUTION REFERRING TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY A BALLOT
MEASURE AUTHORIZING THE LEVY OF A FIVE YEAR LOCAL OPTION
TAX FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $1.28 OF
ASSESSED VALUE BEGINNING IN 2013/14.
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
The current 5-year Public Safety Special Option Levy will expire at the end of the
next fiscal year (06/03/13). After two work sessions, Council directed staff to
prepare a Resolution with Ballot Title for a public hearing on June 18 requesting a
local option levy for $1.28 be placed on the November 06, 2012 election.
This public hearing was held on June 18 and a resolution was adopted by the City
Council that same evening directing the City staff to submit the required paperwork
to Lane County elections for placement on the November ballot.
Upon subsequent contact with Lane County Elections it has been determined that
ORS 280.075 requires additional language be included within the Ballot Title
Statement that reads “The estimated tax cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE
ONLY based on the best information available from the county assessor at the time
of the estimate.” This additional wording is not part of the 175 word count.
Staff is recommending rather than simply adding the additional language to the
Ballot Title and possibly risk an appeal, a second public hearing be held to adopt a
second resolution with all identical language except for the single added statement.
If adopted, the resolution and ballot title will be filed with the Lane County
Elections Office.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Resolution w/ Exhibit A Ballot Title
DISCUSSION/
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
None
Attachment 2 Page 1 of 2
RESOLUTION
No. 2012-__
A RESOLUTION REFERRING TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY A BALLOT MEASURE
AUTHORIZING THE LEVY OF A FIVE YEAR LOCAL OPTION TAX FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
PURPOSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $1.28 OF ASSESSED VALUE BEGINNING IN 2013/14.
As the preamble to the Resolution the Common Council of the City of Springfield, Oregon
(the “City”) hereby recites the matters set forth below. To the extent any of the following recitals
relates to a finding or a determination which must be made by the Council in connection with the
subject matter of this Resolution or any aspect thereof, the Council declares that by setting forth
such recital such finding or determination is thereby made by the Council. The recital, findings
and determination set forth herein constitute a part of the Resolution.
(1) POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. The City is a municipality and political subdivision
organized and existing and pursuant to the laws of the State of Oregon and the 2001 Springfield
Municipal Charter of the City (“the Charter”).
(2) POLICE PLANNING TASK FORCE. The City Council has previously appointed
members to the Police Planning Task Force for the purpose of assisting in the development of a
blueprint for strengthening public safety by leveraging partnerships and resources.
(3) CURRENT LEVY AUTHORIZATION. The City currently has the authorization from the
citizens of Springfield to levy a special option tax at the rate of $1.09 per thousand for police
services beginning July 01, 2007. The current authorization is for five years and expires with
the fiscal year beginning July 01, 2012.
(4) NEED FOR SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS. A variety of surveys and community forums
have been held by, and on behalf of, the City intended to determine the current needs and
desires for the residents as they pertain to issues of public safety. The surveys indicate a
continued need to enhance police services to the Community. The City recently completed the
construction of 100-bed municipal jail through general obligation bonds that opened in January
2010. The Council of the City determined to proceed with the identified services for polices
services, municipal jail operations and court services for the renewal of the current authorized
special option tax at a cost of $32,059,565. The estimated tax rate needed to generate the
resources required is $1.28 per thousand of assessed valuation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SPRINGFIED, OREGON AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. APPROVE OF BALLOT MEASURE FOR GENERAL PURPOSE LOCAL
OPTION TAX LEVY. The Council of the City hereby directs that at the general election to be
held on November 06, 2012, there shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the City a
measure authorizing the City to levy a local option tax for public safety purposes in the amount
of $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in 2013/14. The ballot title for the local option
levy is attached as Exhibit A (the “Ballot Title”).
Section 2. SUBMISSION TO THE ELECTIONS OFFICER. Not later that the 61st day
before November 06, 2012, the City Recorder, as the Chief Elections Officer of the City, shall
submit to the County Clerk for Lane County, Oregon a statement of the local option tax measure
Attachment 2 Page 2 of 2
together with a certified copy of this Resolution and the Ballot Title, all in order that the local
option tax measure may appear on the ballot for the general election to be held on November
06, 2012. The City Recorder shall submit to the County Clerk all necessary information, and
shall do and perform all other acts and things necessary or appropriate, so that the measure
shall appear on the ballot for such primary election.
Section 3. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION. The City Manager, the City Recorder
and the City Finance Director and each of them acting individually, are hereby authorized,
empowered and directed, for and on behalf of the City, to do and perform all acts and things
necessary or appropriate to cause the public safety purpose local option tax levy to appear on
the ballot for November 06, 2012, general election and to otherwise carry out the purpose and
intent of this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately upon
adoption by the Council and approval by the Mayor.
ADOPTED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AT A
REGULAR MEETING HELD ON JUNE 25, 2012, BY A VOTE OF _____ FOR AND _____
AGAINST.
APPROVED:
___________________________
Mayor Christine L. Lundberg
ATTEST:
___________________________
City Recorder, Amy Sowa
Ballot Title
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
BALLOT MEASURE XX‐XX
Caption : FIVE‐YEAR LEVY FOR SPRINGFIELD JAIL OPERATIONS AND POLICE SERVICES
Question: Shall Springfield levy $1.28 per $1,000 assessed valuation for five years beginning
2013/14 for Springfield jail operations and police services. This measure may cause
property taxes to increase more than three percent.
Summary: The current levy for public safety services, which expires June 30, 2013, provides
funding for Springfield’s municipal jail, uniformed police, support personnel and
municipal court operations. Passage of this five year levy would renew funding for the
municipal jail and maintain the existing level of police and community services.
Springfield’s jail opened in 2010. This levy would continue to provide partial funding for
jail operations. Court fines, prisoner fees and leasing jail beds to other agencies would
provide other funding. The jail provides space for sentenced defendants and has
reduced the number of defendants failing to appear for scheduled court dates. During
the first 2 years of operations 3,692 were booked into jail with an average jail
population in excess of 60 inmates per day.
Police services provided by the current levy include additional uniformed officers,
community service officers, dispatchers and record clerks. The current levy has resulted
in improved response times for both emergency and non emergency police calls.
Passage of the proposed levy would allow this level of service to continue.
The estimated tax cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE ONLY based on the best
information available from the county assessor at the time of the estimate. The
estimated tax which would be raised by this levy are 20013/14 ‐ $4,699,947; 2014/15 ‐
$4,840,946; 2015/16 ‐ $4,986,174; 2016/17 ‐ $5,135,759; 2017/18 ‐ $5,289,832 for a
total of $24,952,658.