Junction City fire hall wins, but other issues split in smaller towns.

Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard

Residents of the Junction City Rural Fire Protection District narrowly approved their first new fire hall in 40 years Tuesday night, but city residents were rejecting proposed renovations to their police department and jail, 53 percent to 47 percent.

Meanwhile, Brownsville voters overwhelmingly passed a 40-year, $7.5 million bond issue to finance a major expansion of their wastewater treatment plant. And Oakridge residents easily OK'd four amendments to their city charter, but turned down a five-year emergency services levy.

Two communities - Fern Ridge and Sutherlin - were passing library measures. Residents of the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District were passing an operating levy. But Creswell-area voters were narrowly rejecting plans to create a taxing district to fund professional library services there.

In Junction City, Fire Chief Carl Perry was ecstatic over apparent passage of the district's first-ever bond measure, a 10-year, $2.5 million levy to build a new fire hall behind the Safeway store at the north end of town.

"I really am excited and grateful that so far the majority is voting in our favor," he said. "I think a lot of it is that the taxpayers in our district support public safety really well. And we've never asked for money before, so I think that has made a difference."

He is looking forward to moving his department from a cramped, garage-like building designed for a town of 1,000 to a new fire hall with four times more space. The new structure will include sleeping quarters to house "resident volunteers" to augment the district's paid firefighters who staff the fire station for immediate response to the district's 12,000 residents.

Things were not looking so hopeful for the Junction City Police Department, which appeared to be losing a three-year, $282,000 levy to buy four new police cars and remodel the police department and jail.

Police Chief Ken Hancock was disappointed, calling the improvements "a true need."

"I'm just thankful for the support of our public safety committee and City Council, in their willingness to examine the issue and put it before the people," he said.

In Brownsville, city officials managed to win voter support for the wastewater treatment measure despite a big price tag: The measure could raise taxes on a typical Brownsville home by as much as $401 in the peak year of a gradually increasing levy.

But the city is under state order to come into compliance with Department of Environmental Quality wastewater discharge standards and could have been forced to make the plant improvements under an even more costly 20-year levy.

In Veneta, residents approved a five-year operating levy to fund daily library services, 63 percent to 37 percent. And in Sutherlin, 54 percent of voters were in favor of a 20-year, $800,000 bond issue to partially fund renovation of the C. Giles Hunt Memorial Library, a branch of the Douglas County Library that operates in a city-owned building.

But, in an extremely close vote, Creswell-area residents were rejecting formation of the Lane Library District to begin offering professional library services.

Bill McCoy, who worked for creation of the district and would have been one of its directors, was not ready to give up until the last votes were counted late Monday.

"We're gonna hang on and hope," he said of the 51 percent to 49 percent tally.

In early returns, voters in the Crow-Applegate-Lorane school district were approving renewal of a five-year operating levy, 62 percent to 38 percent.

In Oakridge, voters adopted a series of proposals updating their city charter, from replacing gender-specific language to allowing the mayor to vote on all issues, not just to break a tie.

But city voters were rejecting, 53 percent to 47 percent, a proposed five-year, $450,000 levy to cover new emergency service vehicles, equipment and operating expenses.

"I know it's difficult for the public to make those monetary commitments," Mayor Sue Bond said. "But I think we have some real serious equipment issues. I'm real concerned for public health and public safety."