
Rep. Mike McLane
This week, the House O&C Counties Task Force heard from officials in Josephine, Lane and Curry counties regarding their financial crises.
Public safety levies were proposed in those three counties for the May 21 election, and failed in two of them.
Many people who don’t understand the underlying issues affecting those counties think that their relatively low property tax rates are the problem. But the testimony we heard brought up many important points.
Nearly 30 percent of Josephine County’s 83,000 residents are 55 years and older and living on fixed incomes derived largely from Social Security benefits. Additionally, nearly 20 percent of residents are living below the poverty line.
The current unemployment rate in Josephine County is 11.1 percent, and does not include the 85 jobs lost from the closure of the Rough & Ready lumber mill.
Lane County’s levy passed, but its woes continue. Curry County’s levy failed. That county has 22,000 people, 18 percent of whom are living at or below the poverty level.
It’s easy to call for more taxes as a solution. But these issues are largely the result of poor management of the same federal lands that helped produce jobs and tax revenues for these counties for decades.
Ultimately, the true answer will involve the responsible use of our abundant natural resources and the creation of private sector jobs.
I look forward to working with my colleagues at the national, state and local level to enable our counties to provide critical services.




