HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrder 013 - 911 Local Option LevyOE
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(541) 388-6570 -Fax (541) 385-3202 -www.deschutes.org
AGENDA REQUEST & STAFF REPORT
For Board Business Meeting of March 18,2013 @ 10:00
Please see directions for completing this document on the next page.
DATE: March 14,2012.
FROM: Laurie Craghead Legal Phone # 541-388-6623
TITLE OF AGENDA ITEM:
Convene as Governing Body of the Deschutes County 911 County Service District
Consideration of Board signature of Order 2013-013 Submitting to the Voters of the Deschutes County
911 County Service District a Five-Year Local Option Tax Levy to Fund 911 Emergency Services and
Rescinding Order 2010-010
Consideration of authorization of Chair signature of Notice of District Election and Explanatory
Statement for County Voters Pamphlet (2013)
PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS DATE? No
BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS:
In 1994, the voters approved a tax base of $0.16 for the Deschutes County 911 County Service District
("District"). In 1997, that tax base was converted to a permanent tax rate (,'PTR"). Given several
factors, including voter approval of Ballot Measure 50 in 1996, it resulted in a shortfall between the
revenue that could be raised by the PTR and the actual operating expenses of the District. Since then,
the voters have approved several local option levies for the District to make up for the shortfall. The
latest was a local option tax levy of $0.23 per $1000 of assessed value, approved in 2008. That levy
expires June 30, 2013.
The Board of County Commissioners, which is the Governing Body of the Deschutes County 911
County Service District, discussed the need to maintain current revenues in order to maintain the
current level of services provided by the district. Initially, the Board decided and by Order No. 2013
010, officially proposed a ballot measure for the May 2013 ballot with a local option levy at the rate of
$0.23 per $1000. After hearing public comment, the Board decided to instead propose a reduced rate of
$0.20 per $1000 of assessed value. In order to levy $0.20 per $1000 of assessed value, the new levy
must be approved by the voters in the May 21, 2013 election.
Order 2013-013 calls for an election on the levy and approves the Notice of District Election with the
revised rate to be submitted to the Deschutes County Clerk. This Order also rescinds Order No. 2013
010 and withdraws Ballot Measure 9-91. Both the Notice of District Election and the Explanatory
Statement are to be signed by the Board Chair, subject to Board authorization. These documents must
be submitted to the Deschutes County Clerk by no later than March 21, 2013. In order to assure timely
filing of the documents, Legal staff asks that the District governing body approve them no later than
March 18,2013.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
If the documents are not approved, a new levy for the new rate will not be on the May ballot and the
District's current local option levy will expire June 30, 2013 with no replacement. The District will
have to operate on only its PTR of $0.16 per $1000 of assessed value without the additional $0.20 per
$1000 of assessed value that an approved local option tax levy would provide. The PTR alone remains
insufficient for the District to maintain the current level of services.
RECOMMENDATION & ACTION REQUESTED:
Motion: Approve signature of Order 2013-013 and authorize the Chair's signature on the Notice of
District Election and the Explanatory Statement.
ATTENDANCE: Rob Poirier & Laurie Craghead
DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS:
Georgia Springer -Legal Department for delivery to the Deschutes County Clerk no later than March
21,2013.
For Recording Stamp Only
BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON,
ACTING AS THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE
DESCHUTES COUNTY 911 COUNTY SERVICE DISTRICT
An Order Submitting to the Voters of the *
Deschutes County 911 County Service * ORDER NO. 2013-013
District a Five-Year Local Option Tax Levy *
to Fund 911 Emergency Services and *
Rescinding Order No. 2010-010
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Deschutes County, Oregon, acting as the
governing body of Deschutes County 911 County Service District (Board), has determined that a five
year local option tax levy should be submitted to the qualified voters of the Deschutes County 911
County Service District (District) as established by Section 11, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution
in order to provide adequate funding and permit the proper operation of the District; and
WHEREAS, the Board considers adequate funding of the District as necessary and in the
public interest; and
WHEREAS, the Board finds that the current levy will expire June 30, 2013; and
WHEREAS, the Board finds that anticipated District revenues from the District's permanent
tax rate of$0.16 per $1000 of assessed value would be insufficient to provide adequate 911 services
without the funds generated by the proposed local option tax levy; and
WHEREAS, the five-year local option levy of $0.23 per thousand, passed by the voters in
2008,will expire at the end of fiscal year 2012-2013 and, upon expiration will leave a significant
shortfall in the budget; and
WHEREAS, the Board previously approved, pursuant to Order No. 2013-010, a Notice of
District Measure and Explanatory Statement with a proposed local option levy rate of $0.23 per $1000
of assessed value and, after hearing public comment, desires to propose a reduced rate of $0.20 per
$1000 of assessed value; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to submit the question of authorizing a five-year local option tax
levy to the registered voters of the District; now, therefore,
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON,
acting as the governing body of the DESCHUTES COUNTY 911 COUNTY SERVICE DISTRICT,
HEREBY ORDERS as follows:
PAGE I OF 1-ORDER No. 2013-013
Section I. Form ofQuestion. At the local option tax levy election on May 21, 2013. there
shall be submitted to the registered voters of the Deschutes County 911 County Service District, for
their approval or rejection, the measure set forth in Exhibit "A," attached hereto and by this reference
incorporated herein.
Section 2. Date ofElection. The measure set forth in Exhibit "A" shall be submitted in the
manner prescribed by law to the qualified voters of the District at an election to be held in the District
on May 21, 2013.
Section 3. Election and Ballots. The Deschutes County Clerk is hereby directed to conduct
the election set forth in this Order. The Clerk shall clearly and boldly print the words "CONTAINS
VOTE ON PROPOSED TAX INCREASE" in red ink on the outer envelope of ballots to be mailed to
registered voters.
Section 4. The Board Chair is authorized to sign the original Notice of District Measure
Election and Explanatory Statement for County Voters' Pamphlet (2013).
Section 5. Order 2013-010 is rescinded and Measure 9-91 is withdrawn.
DATED this_day of _____, 2013. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON, ACTING AS
THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE DESCHUTES
COUNTY 911 COUNTY SERVICE DISTRICT
ALAN UNGER, Chair
ATTEST: TAMMY BANEY, Vice Chair
Recording Secretary ANTHONY DeBONE, Commissioner
PAGE 2 OF 1-ORDER No. 2013-013
Notice of District Measure Election SEL. 803
District and Notice Information
Notice is hereby given on May 21 • 20 13 • that Ii measure election will be held in De&ehutes Coonty 911 Service District
Name of District
locsted in Deschutes and Jefferson County. Oregon May 21, 2013.on
Name of Countyr Counties Date of Election
The following shall be the ballot title of the measure to be submitted to the district's voters:
Caption tOwords
: Five-year Local Option Tax for 911 Operations.
Question 20 words
Shall County 911 Service District impose $0.20 per $1000 of assessed value for operations for five
years beginning 2013-2018?
This measure renews current local option taxes.
Summary 17S words
The current taxing authority for the Deschutes County 911 County Service District is a permanent rate
limitation of $0.16 per $1000 of assessed value. This rate is based on a tax base passed by voters in 1994 .
.In 2008 Voters approved a five-year operating levy of $0.23 per $1000 of assessed value. That levy will
'expire June 30.2013. After hearing public comment, the Board desires to propose a reduced rate of $0.20 per
$1000 of assessed value;
Funds provided by this five-year local option tax would be used to:
• Maintain revenue to continue 911 operations at current levels;
• Continue the Emergency Preparedness Network (EPN). which notifies residents by telephone of
emergency situations in their area; and
• Make technology improvements to include transltioning to Next Generation 911 to enhance efficiency
/ of the public safety agencies within Deschutes County.
This measure would provide operational funding and space for 911 emergency services for five years.
The proposed rate would raise approximately $3,442.774 in 2013-2014; $3.546.056 in 2014-2015:
$3,652.436 in 2015-2016; $3.762.011 In 2016-2017; and $3,874.871 in 2017-2018.
The following authorized district official hereby certifieslhe above ballot title is lrue and complete.
Signature of Authorized District Official not required to be notarized Date Signed mm/dd/yy
ALAN UNGER Chair. Board of County Commissioners
Printed Name of Authorized District Official Title
Exhibit A to Order 2013-013
Page 1
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT FOR COUNTY VOTERS' PAMPHLET (2013)
Ballot Title Caption: Five-year Local Option Tax for 911 Operations
Measure Number: Word Total (500) Maximum): 367
Deschutes County 911 County Service District ("Deschutes County 911") answers and dispatches all
calls for service for every police, fire and ambulance department in Deschutes County and the Crooked
River Ranch and the Camp Sherman areas within Jefferson County. Deschutes County 911 provides this
service to all residents in those areas through the following entities:
Bend Fire Department
Bend Police Department
Black Butte Ranch Service District:
Fire Department
Police Department
United States Bureau of Land Management
Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District
Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue
Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection
District #2
LaPine Rural Fire Protection District
Deschutes County Sheriffs Office
Redmond Police Department
Redmond Fire & Rescue
Sunriver Service District:
Fire Department
Police Department
Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection
District
United States Forest Service
Currently, an average of seven Deschutes County 911 dispatchers per shift answer approximately
160 emergency calls each day as well as manage complex radio communications. The 911 dispatchers
are trained and certified emergency medical dispatchers, giving life-saving emergency medical
instructions to callers until the emergency personnel arrive at the scene. In addition to these emergency
calls, Deschutes County 911 also answers and processes all non-emergency calls for service.
The 911 Service District's current taxing authority is a tax base of $0.16 per $1000 assessed value,
passed by the voters in 1994. The five-year local option levy of $0.23 per thousand, passed by the voters
in 2008, will expire at the end of fiscal year 2012-2013 and, upon expiration will leave a significant
shortfall in the budget. After hearing public comment, the Board desires to propose a reduced rate of
$0.20 per $1000 of assessed value. Approval of this measure will allow 911 to maintain revenue to
continue operations at current levels, and make technology improvements to include transitioning to
Next Generation 911 which is expected to enhance efficiency of the public safety agencies within
Deschutes County.
i
If approved, the cost of this local option tax would be reduced to $0.20 per $1000 of assessed value.
The tax impact of this measure is $20 a year per $100,000 of assessed value. In Deschutes County, a
home with an assessed value of$150,000 would be assessed $30. per year for 911 services.
Person responsible for the content of the Explanatory Statement: 1
t (Typed) Alan Unger, Chair
I (Signed) X
i
j Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners
Name of the Governing Body person represents
1
Explanatory Statement (2/13)