November 2023 - City Livability Services Local Option Levy

On November 7, 2023, the City Livability Services Local Option Levy passed with 66.5% support.

On July 21, 2023, the City of Corvallis filed a Notice of Measure Election (SEL 802) with the Benton County Elections Division, and the City Livability Services Local Option Levy was assigned measure number #2-141.

On May 15, 2023, the Corvallis City Council passed Resolution 2023-17 approving the local option tax levy explanatory statement for the November 7, 2023 election. The notice of explanatory statement was published to the City website on May 16, 2023. 

On April 17, 2023, the Corvallis City Council passed Resolution 2023-13 referring a local option tax levy of $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed value to the voters for the November 7, 2023 election The notice of receipt of ballot title was published to the City website on April 18, 2023 and appeared in the next available edition of the Corvallis Gazette-Times newspaper (Saturday, April 22, 2023).

For information about services proposed to be funded by Measure 2-141, visit this resource page on the City website. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CITY OF CORVALLIS

LOCAL OPTION TAX LEVY EXPLANATORY STATEMENT FOR THE NOVEMBER 7, 2023 ELECTION

The Measure would allow the City of Corvallis to levy $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed value for five years for the purpose of supporting operations of the Corvallis Public Library (51.9%) and the Parks and Recreation Department (48.1%), and to provide grant funding to local social service agencies ($480,000). This proposed levy would be at the same rate of $1.07 per thousand as the current 2019 City Livability Levy that will expire on June 30, 2024. The services and programs to be funded by this measure may include, but are not limited to:

  • Deliver community programs for all ages, including youth day camps, storytimes, family-friendly events, summer reading programs, fitness, enrichment and arts classes, computer literacy classes, teen- and senior-focused programs, volunteer opportunities, and life-saving swim lessons.
  • Offer creative cultural and performing arts programming, outreach to diverse populations, and engage with community members in development of service offerings.
  • Offer scholarships to income-eligible individuals, allowing an equity-focused delivery of community programs.
  • Maintain grounds and landscaping, provide safety checks on play equipment, plant new trees to increase tree canopy, and provide sanitation and hygiene services.
  • Manage over 2,000 acres of parks and natural areas, including wildlife habitat, invasive species management, and public access to recreational trails.
  • Offer an expansive and diverse collection of library materials in a variety of formats for all ages.
  • Provide open hours of service at Corvallis Public Library, seven days a week.
  • Provide the community a place of refuge during extreme weather events by designating certain facilities to act as a cooling or warming center.
  • Prevents closure of the Corvallis Public Library, Corvallis Community Center, the Majestic Theatre, and Osborn Aquatic Center.
  • Provide $480,000 each year for grant funds supporting nonprofit social service organizations to provide services or resources that help meet basic human needs, such as shelter and support services, food security, intervention and prevention services, childcare, mental and physical health services, family support, transportation, and emergency funds.

The levy tax rate of $1.07 per $1,000 assessed value is estimated to cost the typical homeowner the equivalent of approximately $25 per month in the first year of the levy, based on the average (mean) residential property, and would collect approximately $6.5 million in the first year, with an estimated average of $6.9 million collected each year for the five-year period.

Any elector who is dissatisfied with the explanatory statement may file a petition to review the explanatory statement in the Benton County Circuit Court. The petition must name the Corvallis City Council as the respondent and state the reasons the explanatory statement filed is insufficient, not concise, or unfair. The petition to review must be filed with Benton County Circuit Court no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CITY OF CORVALLIS

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF BALLOT TITLE

Notice is hereby given that on April 17, 2023, the City Council approved the following ballot title for a City Livability Services Local Option Levy. On April 18, 2023, the City Recorder published the ballot title.

CAPTION: CITY LIVABILITY SERVICES LOCAL OPTION LEVY   

QUESTION: Shall Corvallis impose $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed value, for five years beginning July 1, 2024, for livability services?  

This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

SUMMARY: The City of Corvallis would use the tax revenue from this measure for services that enhance City livability and culture. Revenue from this measure would be restricted in the following amounts or percentages (with FY 2024-2025 estimated dollar amounts):

  • $480,000 for annual grants allocated to local social service agencies ($480,000).
  • 51.9% of the remaining revenue (after the $480,000 allocation) would be allocated to services at the Corvallis Public Library, including open days and hours, materials, programs, and outreach ($3,137,511);
  • 48.1% of the remaining revenue (after the $480,000 allocation) would be allocated to services at Parks & Recreation, including recreation programs, Osborn Aquatic Center, Corvallis Community Center, the Majestic Theatre, and Parks services and maintenance ($2,907,789);
  • By fiscal year, this levy is estimated to raise:
    • 24-25             $6,525,300
    • 25-26               6,719,800
    • 26-27               6,920,100
    • 27-28               7,126,600
    • 28-29               7,339,500
    • Total             $34,631,300

Any elector who is dissatisfied with the ballot title may file a petition to review the ballot title issued by the Corvallis City Attorney in the Benton County Circuit Court. The petition must name the Corvallis City Attorney as the respondent and state the reasons the title filed is insufficient, not concise, or unfair. The petition to review must be filed with Benton County Circuit Court no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

  • Printer-friendly version