21 January 2015
Lane County Could Refer Registration Fee to Voters
Lane County Commissioners will take testimony this afternoon on whether or not to send a $35-per-year vehicle registration fee to voters. If approved and imposed, it would raise about $11-million each year to be used for maintenance on roads and bridges in Lane County.
If approved by voters, vehicle owners would see their two-year registration fees increase from $86 to $156. That additional $70 would go to Lane County who would, in turn, keep 60-percent of it and parcel the rest to municipalities. Florence would get about $143-thousand each year; Dunes City about 22-grand.
Lane County would use its share to maintain about 14-hundred miles of roads and 400 bridges.
The Board of Commissioners will take testimony this afternoon at 1:30 at the County Courthouse in Eugene. A final decision on whether or not to send it to voters could immediately follow the hearing.
SOS Gets a Lifeline
A $10-thousand grant from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation will help Siuslaw Outreach Services provide emergency vouchers to people in need. SOS director David Wiegan says the total budgeted amount for the program is in excess of about $65-thousand.
Last year, more than 21-hundred different people came to SOS for help.
David Wiegan – “Our most typical clients are people who have experienced domestic or sexual violence of some sort; children in families that are low income that are having some sort of emergency situation; you know where they’ve lost the heat in the home for example. Something like that. About 20-percent of the people we serve are seniors on fixed incomes and sometimes they get in a bind due to some unforeseen emergency.”
Wiegan says the homeless population places a considerable strain on SOS’s ability to provide help. He said assistance is provided on a case-by-case basis.
Brauer Honored With Peace Health Award
Retired Florence physician and banker A. J. Brauer was honored recently with the Nat Giustina Philanthropy Award.
PeaceHealth system CEO Alan Yordy presented the award to Brauer last week during a special event to honor donors to the Peace Harbor Medical Center Emergency Department expansion.
Brauer practiced medicine in Florence for more than 40 years and was instrumental in the formation and governance of Peace Harbor Medical Center 25 years ago. He is also one of the original founders of Oregon Pacific Bank.
The award to Brauer recognizes not only his contribution of time and effort on behalf of medical care in the Florence area, but his financial support.
Chili and Pie Kick Off Relay
Organizers of this year’s Florence Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society say there will be a few changes this year.
First up, the event’s “kick off” celebration will feature a dessert sale and chili contest.
Amateur chili chefs are invited to bring a crock-pot filled with their favorite creation to the Florence Elks Lodge this Saturday afternoon no later than 3:30. Be prepared to serve it to all-comers from four to seven. The chili tasters will judge the entries with a people’s choice award to be presented that evening.
Desserts for the sale must be delivered by the same time. They’ll be auctioned off later in the afternoon.
The Florence Relay for Life will be August 8th at Miller Park for just 12 hours this year… beginning at noon Saturday and running through midnight.
Audit shows public safety levy funds used properly
An audit report released today shows money from a special property tax levy in Lane County has been spent as it was intended.
When voters approved a 55-cent-per-thousand special levy in May 2013, one condition was that the money raised be used only on operations at the Lane County Jail and certain youth offender services.
The five-year levy will provide a total of about $75-million for corrections in Lane County. Sheriff Tom Turner called it the “first step: in repairing a broken public safety system.
The audit, performed by the accounting firm Moss-Adams, provided an independent look at how the money was used. It was presented to the Lane County Board of Commissioners earlier today.
