Michelle Kaseberg has a substantial lead over Curtis Martin in the race for Baker County commissioner and, pending counting of ballots that were postmarked by May 21, she is on pace to be elected without the need for a runoff against Martin in the Nov. 5 general election.

Kaseberg has 2,607 votes, Martin 2,228, in preliminary results from the Baker County Clerk’s office.

To win outright, one candidate has to receive at least 50%, plus one, of all votes cast. Kaseberg has almost 54% of the votes cast at this point.

Martin sent a letter to the editor of the Herald on Monday, May 27, in which he conceded to Kaseberg, wishing her well and vowing to stay “engaged on the priority issues that most definitely need our whole community’s attention.”

Kaseberg said she was pleased with the tenor of the campaign.

“I do appreciate Curtis,” she said. “We kept it clean.”

Martin said he was disappointed by the voter turnout of about 41.8%.

He agreed with Kaseberg about the campaign.

“I’ve known Michelle for a long time — we’re friends,” Martin said. “I think we tried to address the subject matter in a congenial manner. There are a lot of things in which we have similar approaches. I truly appreciate the competition.”

Tax levies

Baker City voters have rejected the city’s 5-year property tax levy to support the police and fire departments. The measure had 1,702 no votes, and 1,078 yes votes in preliminary results.

The levy, which would have raised about $850,000 the first year, would have increased property taxes within the city limits by $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That means the owner of a home with an assessed value of $150,000 (which is different, and usually lower, than the real market value, both of which are shown on property tax bills) would have paid an additional $207 per year in property taxes while the levy was in place.

Voters in the Baker Rural Fire Protection District in Baker Valley have approved a 5-year tax levy for that district, with 428 yes votes and 291 no votes. Voters rejected two tax levies for the district in 2022.

The measure will raise about $186,000 the first year, and slightly more in subsequent years. The measure increases property taxes within the district by 93 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of about $186 per year for the owner of a property with an assessed value of $200,000.

A five-year tax levy for the Haines Fire Protection District is much closer but appears to have failed, with 165 no votes and 149 yes votes. The levy would raise about $132,000 the first year, and increase taxes by $1.25 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

A measure to allow property tax-backed bond sales to make improvements to Pine Eagle High School and Pine Eagle Elementary School has failed, with 442 no votes and 298 yes votes.

The Pine Eagle School District was asking voters to authorize the sale of $11.7 million in bonds to pay for upgrades to the high school and elementary school and to build a second gymnasium at the elementary school.

The district has secured $6 million from the state for the project, but will receive the money only if voters approve the sale of bonds, according to a document the district filed with the county.

The total project budget would be $17.7 million.

If voters had approved the bond sale, the district would have repaid the bonds through an increase in property taxes in the district over as many as 20 years, depending on when the bonds are sold (there would be multiple sales).

The district estimated the measure would have increased property taxes by $2.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That equates to an increase of $468 per year for a property with an assessed value of $200,000.

Voters renewed a four-year, $140,000 per year tax levy for mosquito control, 2,148 yes votes to 1,659 no votes.

But voters rejected a renewal of a four-year, $130,000 per year property tax levy to control noxious weeds in the county. The measure had 2,713 no votes, 2,475 yes votes.

Voters had approved four-year renewals for the weed levy several times over the past couple decades. In 2020, despite the financial effects of the new COVID-19 pandemic, voters approved a four-year renewal with almost 69% voting in favor. The levy provides about 30% of the Baker County Weed District’s revenue. The district also receives money from the state and federal governments.

The levy that failed would have cost taxpayers about 6.6 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. That equates to about $13.20 per year for the owner of a property with an assessed (not real market) value of $200,000.

U.S. President, Republican

Donald Trump: 2,877

Write-in: 179

U.S. President, Democrat

Joseph Biden: 737

Marianne Williamson: 116

Write-in: 45

U.S. Representative, 2nd District, Democrat

Dan Ruby: 569

Steve William Laible: 120

U.S. Representative, 2nd District, Republican

Cliff Bentz: 2,456

Jason Beebe: 600

State Senator, District 30, Republican

Mike McLane: 1,628

Douglas T. Muck Jr.: 710

Robert Neuman: 289

Oregon Attorney General, Republican

Will Lathrop: 1,779

Michael Cross: 903

Oregon Attorney General, Democrat

Dan Rayfield: 527

Shaina Maxey Pomerantz: 242

Oregon Secretary of State, Republican

Dennis Linthicum: 1,631

Tim McCloud: 515

Brent Barker: 489

Oregon Secretary of State, Democrat

Tobias Read: 557

James Manning Jr.: 132

James Jim Crary: 56

Paul Damian Wells: 35

Dave W. Stauffer: 29

Oregon State Treasurer, Democrat

Elizabeth Steiner: 571

Jeff Gudman: 209

Oregon State Treasurer, Republican

Brian J. Boquist: 2,373