The Committee to Shut It Down will be having a meeting on Friday, April 13, 2018, at 7 pm in the North Bend Library on Sherman Street and the reason is due to a recent vote by the Coos County Board of Commissioners.
On March 27, 2018, the Board voted to extend the urban renewal debt and the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan for another twenty years. The maximum indebtedness is thirty-seven million dollars, and it is the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay it back.
The BOC started this process in September of 2017 where at one meeting over seventy opponents attended, and they spoke out against the UR tax debt or extending the plan. Many of them demanded that the commissioners put the ordinance on the ballot for the voters to decide.
Unfortunately, ALL THREE COMMISSIONERS ignored the pleas of the public and voted unanimously to support this tax. They saddled the taxpayers with two more decades of debt by enacting Ordinance 17-08-006L, which amends the plan to the county’s urban renewal agency until the year 2038. The life expectancy of some of the current board members are shorter than the time it will take the next generation to pay off this debt,
In a twist, Commissioner Bob Main, who had been a very vocal longtime opponent of urban renewal decided to vote in favor of the plan and the ordinance. Many of his supporters were very disappointed by the sudden reversal, but it was not surprising considering his past inconsistencies.
Main used to be the renegade on the board with Cribbins and Sweet towing the line for the local political establishment, but this recent decision puts Main in the muck with the rest of the local swamp creatures. It seemed to be a recklessly cavalier decision considering the election before last he only kept the commissioner position by 14 votes. It is unclear where he will receive support in his next bid to retain the office.
He explained himself by stating this, “While I do not like UR’s, I was able to modify the Coos County UR. Removed was the additional tax levy on all Coos County tax payers ( if the UR was short funds ). Also, any additional revenue from additional taxable value has to be approved by the county commissioners. ( Jordan Cove as an example would have to be approved. I do not see that happening because the county needs those funds for the jail, deputies, etc.)”
Fortunately, the voters will have a chance to terminate Bob Main as county commissioner in two years, but for now, Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet are up for reelection. Both are facing multiple contenders so voters will have plenty of choices in the May primary.
Interested parties can find more info on candidates at the county Elections Office’s website at www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/CountyClerk/Elections.aspx.
Insubordination is an intolerable act for elected employees, so several citizens have decided to file a TAX Referendum. If the group collects enough signatures, the voters will get to make the final decision. With the required number, plus extras for the ones the elections official might throw out, the committee will need to gather about 1300 signatures. The campaign is an effort to eliminate, not only the tax but also the entire process of tax-increment financing in Coos County.
Anyone interested in fighting for a lower tax debt should attend the “Shut Down the Coos County URA” meeting on Friday the thirteenth. There will be petitions available to sign, and organizers will provide more in-depth explanations of how urban renewal and tax-increment financing is driving up taxes and property prices.
For anyone who cannot make the meeting, but would like to circulate the petition and gather signatures can get copies by sending an email to cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com. Please put “UR Petition” in the subject line.
Download a single signature sheet and find out more information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.
On March 27, 2018, the Board voted to extend the urban renewal debt and the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan for another twenty years. The maximum indebtedness is thirty-seven million dollars, and it is the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay it back.
The BOC started this process in September of 2017 where at one meeting over seventy opponents attended, and they spoke out against the UR tax debt or extending the plan. Many of them demanded that the commissioners put the ordinance on the ballot for the voters to decide.
Unfortunately, ALL THREE COMMISSIONERS ignored the pleas of the public and voted unanimously to support this tax. They saddled the taxpayers with two more decades of debt by enacting Ordinance 17-08-006L, which amends the plan to the county’s urban renewal agency until the year 2038. The life expectancy of some of the current board members are shorter than the time it will take the next generation to pay off this debt,
In a twist, Commissioner Bob Main, who had been a very vocal longtime opponent of urban renewal decided to vote in favor of the plan and the ordinance. Many of his supporters were very disappointed by the sudden reversal, but it was not surprising considering his past inconsistencies.
Main used to be the renegade on the board with Cribbins and Sweet towing the line for the local political establishment, but this recent decision puts Main in the muck with the rest of the local swamp creatures. It seemed to be a recklessly cavalier decision considering the election before last he only kept the commissioner position by 14 votes. It is unclear where he will receive support in his next bid to retain the office.
He explained himself by stating this, “While I do not like UR’s, I was able to modify the Coos County UR. Removed was the additional tax levy on all Coos County tax payers ( if the UR was short funds ). Also, any additional revenue from additional taxable value has to be approved by the county commissioners. ( Jordan Cove as an example would have to be approved. I do not see that happening because the county needs those funds for the jail, deputies, etc.)”
Fortunately, the voters will have a chance to terminate Bob Main as county commissioner in two years, but for now, Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet are up for reelection. Both are facing multiple contenders so voters will have plenty of choices in the May primary.
Interested parties can find more info on candidates at the county Elections Office’s website at www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/CountyClerk/Elections.aspx.
Insubordination is an intolerable act for elected employees, so several citizens have decided to file a TAX Referendum. If the group collects enough signatures, the voters will get to make the final decision. With the required number, plus extras for the ones the elections official might throw out, the committee will need to gather about 1300 signatures. The campaign is an effort to eliminate, not only the tax but also the entire process of tax-increment financing in Coos County.
Anyone interested in fighting for a lower tax debt should attend the “Shut Down the Coos County URA” meeting on Friday the thirteenth. There will be petitions available to sign, and organizers will provide more in-depth explanations of how urban renewal and tax-increment financing is driving up taxes and property prices.
For anyone who cannot make the meeting, but would like to circulate the petition and gather signatures can get copies by sending an email to cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com. Please put “UR Petition” in the subject line.
Download a single signature sheet and find out more information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.
| Single Signature Sheet 
| Sign the petition to repeal the Coos County Urban Renewal Debt for the 2018 ballot! It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3! 1. Print out the petition on white paper. 2. Sign, date and fold it. Only use tape on the outside of the signature sheet. 3. Stick a stamp on it and mail it in. | ||
Related Posts Establishing the Timeline
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension
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