Ballot Measure Funding Confusion

There is one more week for ballots to be turned in for the November 4^th election. There is only one item on the agenda that was put fourth by the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners. This is a tax increase to fund the Lincoln County Veterans Service office. During the August Commission meeting Veterans Service Officer Keith Barns told the commission that more money was needed for his office to pay for an additional employee as an outreach coordinator to help cover events and for transportation services within Lincoln County.

According to what is written on the ballot, however, if passed the tax would pay for the veterans service office as it would no longer receive funding from the county budget. As written in the measure description, the county veterans service office would receive no general fund dollars while this levy was in effect if passed. This is different than what was proposed by the commissioners to have staff put on the ballot, as it was suggested it would pay for an outreach coordinator and transportation. Click here to see what was proposed by Mr. Barns, Lincoln County Veterans Service Officer. County Commissioner Casey Miller said what was approved in August was for staff to draft a ballot proposal. He said he never saw the final copy before it went on the ballot.

Commissioner Miller's statement:

"I want to be clear: I fully support our Veterans Service Office and the veterans of Lincoln County. I have not engaged in any discussions that foreshadowed the removal of general funds to our VSO office prior to the levy proposal. I’ve previously asked the Board to have detailed and open discussions about our overall financial situation.  I’ll continue to advocate for our collaboration. If our VSO office anticipates projected general fund staffing vulnerabilities these were not specifically articulated in the August 6^th meeting. My concern is not about the overall inherent value of the VSO office or its mission; it’s about how this levy proposal came forward, the finer details of discussion in the meeting and how the levy was processed following the motion.

When the idea of a levy was first presented at our August 6 Board of Commissioners meeting it was placed on the agenda as an action item. I understood it as a proposal to augment existing General Fund support—not to replace it. At that meeting, the Board received a single letter from the Veterans Service Officer. No draft ballot language or supporting fiscal analysis was presented or discussed. The motion passed by the BOC directed staff to prepare the necessary materials for a levy—but it did not include a contingency for reviewing or approving the final ballot language. After the meeting, Order #08-25-330—the official order calling for the election—was drafted. My signature was applied to that order without my having had the opportunity to review or approve the final text. Did my fellow commissioners review this document?

My mistake was not asserting the BOC, and the public had a full chance to review the language before the measure was sent to households. The result is that voters are now being asked to consider a proposal that many, including me, initially understood differently. The ballot language reflects a shift from augmentation to replacement of General Fund support—something that was not articulated clearly in our open session. I take responsibility for not catching this and asserting we circle back well before ballots were distributed. 

I believe our community wants to support veterans but also deserves full transparency about the financial implications and timing of this proposal.

A deeper look at our General Fund, the continued  impact to  all  departments,  the long-term sustainability of the VSO, and whether this philosophical shift—moving a department from the County’s base budget to a levy—is truly the right approach. Imagine a truly inclusive discussion and what we might learn. If the levy passes and there are surplus dollars, shall we simply create a reserve fund within this budget? With increased service demand (thanks to PACT Act, etc.), our local office may further need additional outreach, faster claim assistance, and more staff. Our veterans deserve care and compensation, and we are compelled to ensure their protection. The levy may help match capacity to demand that is yet foreseen.

As a commissioner, it’s my responsibility to ensure the community has the clarity and information it deserves to make decisive, informed choices. I regret not asking these questions when they would have been most helpful.I remain committed to our veterans and to transparent, responsible county governance. Moving forward I will continue to advocate for articulate and timely financial analysis of the use and sustainability of taxpayer resources."

Sincerely,

Commissioner Miller 

Barns explained at the meeting that right now the Veteran Services Office is currently funded out of the County’s General Fund and through Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs pass-through funding – $222,771 and $119,000, respectively. This pays for three full-time employees, including two accredited Veteran Services Officers and an administrative assistant.

It is unclear what would happen with the pass through Federal and State funding, that is targeted for Veterans Services that goes to the county general fund. The proposed levy would raise taxes more than 3%. The rate being proposed is 0.035 per $1,000. If passed, this would raise approximately $342,000 in the first year and would progressively increase over the 5-year period. Calls and emails to Chair Hall went unanswered by the time of this article.