Baker County voters have again rejected a property tax levy to help control noxious weeds.

Voters in the May 21 primary rejected a four-year extension of the levy, which helps control weeds that reduce the value of rangeland, pastures and other property.

The measure lost by a larger margin in Tuesday’s general election than in the primary.

In unofficial results from Tuesday, the measure failed 5,959 (64%) to 3,255.

In the May primary the measure lost 2,770 to 2,525.

Voter turnout for the election was about 73.4%, with 9,660 of 13,169 ballots returned. That doesn’t include some absentee ballots that are yet to be counted. Baker County had the ninth-highest turnout among Oregon’s 36 counties.

The levy’s defeats reversed an electoral trend that dates back two decades.

County voters had approved four-year extensions of the levy, and always by substantial margins, in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. Support for the levy was 69% in 2020, and 73% in 2016.

Craig Ward, chairman of the county weed district board, said on Nov. 7 that he was “disappointed” by the levy’s defeat. 

Ward said he can only assume that a majority of voters don’t think the levy’s benefits justify the cost to taxpayers.

“The voters have spoken, again,” he said.

What the weed control levy does, and costs

For the 2022-23 fiscal year, the tax levy supplied $86,000 — about 22% of the county weed department’s budget.

However, the levy is a major source of money for certain programs, including herbicide giveaways and the cost-share program in which the weed district reimburses property owners for up to $500, said Gussie Cook, the weed district supervisor.

The tax rate, if voters had approved the levy, would have been about 6.6 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

For the owner of a property with an assessed value of $200,000 (the real market value, which is also shown on property tax bills, will likely be higher than the assessed value), the levy would have added about $13.20 per year to the tax bill.

Cook said on Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, that despite the levy’s defeat, she remains positive about the weed department’s future.

Cook said she will be looking for grants and other revenue sources to replace the levy dollars.

She said the department will also continue to try to help property owners deal with weeds. Cook said there is a variety of options in addition to herbicides, including mowing, pulling or using livestock to control weeds, as well as releasing insects that eat certain weeds.

“Our county needs a noxious weed program,” she said.

The Baker County Weed District advisory board is slated to meet Nov. 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the courthouse.

Pine Eagle School District levy

Voters in the Pine Eagle School District rejected for the second time a property tax levy for school improvements.

In the May primary, voters rejected an $11.7 million bond sale.

In the Tuesday general election, voters turned down a $5.4 million bond levy.

The measure would have been repaid through an increase in property taxes within the school district that includes Pine and Eagle valleys in eastern Baker County.

The May measure was defeated 442 votes to 298.

The smaller bond sale measure in Tuesday’s election failed 601 votes to 507 in unofficial preliminary results.

Baker City Council

All seven council positions were up for election, and there were seven candidates on the ballot, all of whom were elected.

(Some election result sites show “vote for 4,” but the Baker County Clerk’s results correctly show that voters could choose up to seven.)

That includes five incumbents — Doni Bruland, Loran Joseph, Helen Loennig, Roger Coles and Randy Daugherty — as well as Gratton Miller and Stephen C. Carr.

The top four candidates — Daugherty, Coles, Joseph and Loennig — will serve four-year terms, starting in January 2025. The other three — Bruland, Miller and Carr — will serve two-year terms.

Vote totals: 

Randy Daugherty: 3,283

Roger Coles: 3,280

Loran Joseph: 3,157

Helen Loennig: 3,026

Doni Bruland: 2,891

Gratton Miller: 2,681

Stephen C. Carr: 2,678

There were 957 write-in votes.

Also on the ballot

Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash ran unopposed for another four-year term, as did county treasurer Traci Robinson-Ferguson.

Also on the ballot is a county measure that would allow county commissioners to discuss the Greater Idaho movement on dates that commissioners choose, rather than on the specific dates set in a measure that voters approved in May 2021.

Voters rejected the change, 5,051 to 3,955 votes.

The measure required commissioners to meet at least three times per year, on the second Wednesday of March, July and November, to discuss the proposal to shift Baker County and most of Oregon east of the Cascades to Idaho.

That change would require the approval of both states’ legislatures, as well as Congress.

The 2021 measure requires only that commissioners discuss the proposal; they don’t have to take any action.

The measure on the Nov. 5 ballot would eliminate the required meeting dates, instead allowing commissioners to discuss the matter at times they choose.

Haines Mayor

Dennis Anthony: 157

Brian Pound: 41

Baker County results on statewide races/measures

U.S. President

Donald Trump/JD Vance: 6,984 (73%)

Kamala Harris/Tim Walz: 2,301 (24%)

U.S. Representative

Cliff Bentz (R): 7,056 (76%)

Dan Ruby (D): 1,870 (20%)

Secretary of State

Dennis Linthicum (R): 6,852 (74%)

Tobias Read (D): 2,202 (24%)

Treasurer

Brian Boquist (R): 6,844 (74%)

Elizabeth Steiner (D): 1,900 (21%)

Attorney general

Will Lathrop (R): 7,028 (76%)

Dan Rayfield (D): 2,153 (23%)

Statewide measures

Measure 118 (corporate minimum tax, payments to individuals)

No: 7,884 (86%)

Yes: 1,275 (14%)

The measure also failed statewide.

Measure 117 (ranked choice voting)

No: 6,942 (76%)

Yes: 2,201 (24%)

The measure also failed statewide.

Voter turnout

Baker: 74.7%

Grant: 79.9%

Malheur: 58.8%

Morrow: 65.4%

Umatilla: 62.2%

Union: 75.3%

Wallowa: 80.6%

Wheeler: 85.6% — highest among Oregon’s 36 counties

Statewide: 69.4%