[Council Communication]  [Proposed Resolution]  [Explanatory Statement]

Council Communication

Title:	A Resolution Calling a Special Election on May 20, 2003, in the City of Ashland for the Purposes of Submitting to the Voters of the City a Measure for a Five-year Tax-rate Levy to Provide Funds for the Operation of Youth Activity Programs.
Dept:	Legal Department
Date:	March 4, 2003
Submitted By:	Paul Nolte
Approved By: ...........................	Gino Grimaldi, City Administrator

Synopsis:	This measure, if passed, would allow the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission to continue to contract with the Ashland School District to provide numerous youth activities conducted at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The specific activities are more particularly described in the ballot summary and the explanatory statement which are attached. The levy also includes a small portion for community activities conducted by the Ashland Park and Recreation Commission.
Recommendation:	Approve the resolution submitting the youth activities levy to the voters and approve the attached explanatory statement for placement in the voters' pamphlet.
Fiscal Impact:	The resolution approves the submission of this measure to the voters. If the measure is adopted by the voters, it would increase property taxes by a rate of $1.38 per thousand for five years. This is the same rate that was applied for the past three years for a similar measure adopted in May 2000. The cost to the city for the special election is estimated to be between $3,500 and $3,800. Since this cost has not been budgeted, a transfer from the contingency fund may be necessary.
Background:	This resolution approves submitting to the voters a fourth measure for funding youth activity programs. The first measure was approved in 1994 for three years followed by the second measure which was approved for three years in 1997 followed by a third measure for three years in 2000. In terms of activities to be funded, this measure does not differ significantly from the previous three measures. This measure differs from the previous measures in the respect that it is for five years instead of three years.

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RESOLUTION NO. 2003- ________________

A RESOLUTION CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION ON MAY 20, 2003, IN THE CITY OF ASHLAND FOR THE PURPOSES OF SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY A MEASURE FOR A FIVE-YEAR TAX-RATE LEVY TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF YOUTH ACTIVITY PROGRAMS.

THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES:

SECTION 1. A special election is called to be held in the City of Ashland, Oregon, on May 20, 2003, at which election there is to be referred to the voters for their adoption or rejection the following proposed measure:

CAPTION: ASHLAND YOUTH ACTIVITIES FIVE-YEAR OPERATING LOCAL OPTION TAX

QUESTION: Shall City impose $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed value for youth activities beginning 2003-2004? This tax rate would be imposed for five years. This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

SUMMARY: This measure may be passed only at an election with at least a 50 percent voter turnout. The additional tax revenue will be used to provide funds to continue several programs for Ashland School District students, grades kindergarten through twelfth, which may be eliminated or reduced because of insufficient funding by the state legislature. Various programs will be funded at the elementary, middle and high school levels such as athletics, brain bowl, debate, drama club, fresh start program, student yearbook, musical performances including band, choir, orchestra and children's strings, vocational club program, middle school second language program and elementary music, physical education and child development specialist programs. The levy also includes a small portion for community activities conducted by the Ashland Park and Recreation Commission. Student programs will be conducted by the Ashland School District by agreement with the Park and Recreation Commission. It is estimated that the proposed rate will raise $2,022,000 in 2003-2004, $2,082,000 in 2004-2005, $2,145,000 in 2005-2006, $2,209,000 in 2006-2007 and $2,275,000 in 2007-2008.

SECTION 2. The city recorder is requested and directed to give due notice of such special election as provided by law.

SECTION 3. A seven-person committee appointed by the mayor shall advise the Ashland School Board on the allocation of funds by the school district. This committee shall be composed of three citizens, a member of the parks commission, a member of the school board, the athletic director, and one non-high school principal or administrator. The committee will serve for the duration of the levy.

SECTION 4. This resolution takes effect upon signing by the Mayor.

This resolution was read by title only in accordance with Ashland Municipal Code §2.04.090 duly PASSED and ADOPTED this 4th day of March, 2003.
Barbara Christensen, City Recorder

SIGNED and APPROVED this ____day of _________, 2003.
Alan W. DeBoer, Mayor

Reviewed as to form:
Paul Nolte, City Attorney

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Under ORS 251.345, the city council is to submit "an impartial, simple and understandable statement explaining the measure and its effect" for the voters' pamphlet.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This measure would raise money from property taxes for the Ashland Park and Recreation Commission to conduct activities for young people in and around Ashland. The bulk of the money would be paid to the Ashland School District to conduct activities traditionally carried on by the school district for students. These funds would be paid to the district under a contract with the park commission to provide for programs and activities connected with the elementary, middle and high schools. The programs include athletics; elementary music and physical education; various clubs such as drama, vocational, second language, marketing and business; musical performances such as band, choir, orchestra and children's strings and other activities such as the brain bowl, debate and student yearbook. The levy also includes a portion for community activities for adults and nonschool age children. Community activities would be conducted by the Ashland Park and Recreation Commission. Most of the money raised by this measure is intended to continue programs of the school district which would have been eliminated or reduced because of less state funding for schools and Ballot Measure Five adopted in 1990. Measure Five amended the state constitution to limit the amount of property taxes that can be spent for education. Because of the ballot measure limitations, none of the money raised by this measure would be for educational services or for courses of study required by law or by the rules of the State Board of Education. The programs and activities conducted by the school district would primarily be conducted outside of regular school hours and many of them would be conducted off school grounds.

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