Make a Plan to Vote!
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The Oregon Voter Registration Deadline is October 13th, 2020
Since we're now less than 30 days away from Election Day, we're going off book a bit to share some important information on voting. We've recently seen one presidential debate, one vice-presidential debate and one housefly that blew up the internet. Bizarre national politics aside, we can't forget about our local government. There are a lot of measures on the ballot this year in Multnomah County, so we thought we'd discuss some of the basics.
If you've been hiding under a rock, we don't blame you, it's been a crazy year. However, that probably means you have some reading to do on a whole bag of really important issues. It also might mean that you need to get registered to vote if you haven't already. To help with that, we've provided some descriptions and links on several of the upcoming ballot measures in our area, as well as some information on registration.
Multnomah County Ballot Measures
For those of you based in the Portland area, here's a list of local county measures that will be on your ballot. You should be receiving your voter's pamphlets this week in the mail. These provide a lot of objective information on our state ballot measures as well as information on each candidate running for office at the local, state and federal levels. Make sure to read it thoroughly to help inform your decisions!
(Source: ballotpedia.org - click each title for more information)
Measure 26-211 (Library Bond Issue)
-A "yes" vote supports authorizing the county to issue $387 million in bonds to finance library renovations and imposing a property tax of $61 per $100,000 of assessed value to repay the bonds.
-A "no" vote opposes authorizing the county to issue $387 million in bonds to finance library renovations.
Measure 26-213 (Recreation & Parks Levy)
-A "yes" vote supports enacting a tax at the rate of $80 per $100,000 of assessed property value for five years beginning in 2021 to fund recreational programs and park services.
-A "no" vote opposes enacting a tax at the rate of $80 per $100,000 of assessed property value for five years beginning in 2021 to fund recreational programs and park services.
Measure 26-214 (Income Tax - Tuition Free Preschool)
-A "yes" vote supports establishing a tuition-free preschool program; imposing an additional 1.5% income tax on households with income over $200,000 and an additional 3% income tax on households with income over $400,000; and increasing the additional rate for households with income over $200,000 to 2.3% in 2026.
-A "no" vote opposes establishing a tuition-free preschool program and imposing an additional income tax to fund it, thus maintaining the existing income tax rate of 1.25%
Measure 26-215 (Portland Public Schools Bond Issue)
-A "yes" vote supports authorizing the district to issue $1.2 billion in bonds to fund school renovations, technology, and safety without increasing the existing property tax of $250 per $100,000 of assessed property value to repay the bonds.
-A "no" vote opposes authorizing the district to issue $1.2 billion in bonds to fund school renovations, technology, and safety.
Measure 26-217 (Police Oversight Board Charter Amendment)
-A "yes" vote supports: amending the city's charter to establish a new police oversight board, giving the board the power to subpoena witnesses and request police documents and evidence to investigate complaints made against the Portland Police Bureau, allowing the board to impose disciplinary actions up to termination of law enforcement professionals, and authorizing the board to recommend policing policy to the Portland Police Bureau and Portland City Council.
-A "no" vote opposes amending the city charter to establish a new police oversight board, thereby maintaining the existing Independent Police Review that was established by ordinance and operates under the city auditor.
Measure 26-218 (Infrastructure/Transportation Payroll Tax)
-A "yes" vote supports authorizing the Metro Council to impose a payroll tax not to exceed 0.75% on employers with 26 or more employees, excluding local governments, beginning in 2022 to fund infrastructure improvements and transportation programs.
-A "no" vote opposes authorizing the Metro Council to impose a payroll tax not to exceed 0.75% on employers with 26 or more employees, excluding local governments, beginning in 2022 to fund infrastructure improvements and transportation programs.
Measure 26-219 (Uses of Water Fund Charter Amendment)
-A "yes" vote supports amending the city's charter to authorize the city council to spend monies from the Water Fund and increase rates to cover expenses for general public uses, such as neighborhood green areas and community gardens.
-A "no" vote opposes amending the city's charter to authorize the city council to spend monies from the Water Fund on general public uses, thus maintaining that monies from the Water Fund can only be used to provide water service to residents.
Important Links for Voting in Multnomah County
As it turns out, democracy works best when everyone votes! So please, remind your friends and family to take action and exercise their fundamental right as a citizen. GO VOTE!