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District staff outline options, costs and timeline for a local option tax levy
Summary
Finance and communications staff briefed the board on how a local option levy works in Oregon, the Measure 5/50 constraints, cost estimates for consultant work and campaigns, and recommended more research; the board agreed it was not ready for November 2026 and discussed targeting November 2028.
Finance Director Pete Bejarano and Director of Communications Athena Vadnais provided a detailed briefing on local option tax levies in Oregon, including mechanics, statutory caps, voter thresholds, typical timelines, and communications needs.
Bejarano explained the Measure 5 cap on property taxes and Measure 50 assessed-value mechanics and described the concept of "compression loss"—the difference between real market value and assessed value that affects levy yield. He noted that calculating levy yield is complex in a two-county district and that a vendor compression study would cost roughly $10,000. Vadnais outlined that successful levy efforts require both a district information campaign (staff-run, informational) and a community PAC-led advocacy campaign; she said consultant and campaign costs can range widely, with district consultant costs estimated at $165,000–$310,000 in some examples and PAC fundraising ranging from $50,000 to $1 million.
Board members discussed electability, campaign intensity, and timing. Several members said a levy is harder to sell than a bond because operations are ongoing and levies must be renewed (commonly every five years). The board agreed staff were not prepared for the November 2026 ballot and that the presidential election in November 2028 would likely provide better turnout for a possible levy effort. Staff offered free briefings from Piper-Sandler and proposed a paid compression study if the board wants to proceed with more granular analysis.
