Hillsboro Voters Renew Public Safety Local Option Levy

HILLSBORO, OR — Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the city's Police, Fire, and Parks Local Option Levy with 81 percent voting 'yes,' guaranteeing the sustained delivery of the city's public safety and recreational services for at least the next five years.

First approved in 2006, then renewed in 2012, the newly approved levy will take effect in July 2018. Keeping the current tax rate, the levy requires residents to pay $1.72 per $1,000 of assessed value. For homes assessed at $250,000, taxpayers would pay about $430 per year.

According to city officials, the levy will simply allow the city to continue funding police, fire, and parks departments' existing services, which include:

• For the Hillsboro Police Department:
  • Patrol officers and neighborhood patrols;
  • Detectives for investigations, including internet crime, fraud, and elder abuse;
  • Community policing programs;
  • Programs focused on street crimes, narcotics, and gang enforcement;
  • Child and domestic violence intervention; and
  • Youth services and school resource officers.
• For the Hillsboro Fire Department:
  • Timely emergency responses to residential and business calls for service;
  • Maintenance of existing equipment used by responders in a search and rescue capacity, as well as the purchase of new equipment as needed;
  • Emergency response and rescue capabilities for hazardous materials incidents;
  • Fire prevention and safety programs; and
  • Disaster preparedness programs.
• For the Parks & Recreation Department:
  • Maintaining recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, ball fields, wetlands, and natural areas.

"Seeing the continued widespread community support for the services provided by our fire and police departments and our parks maintenance staff is very gratifying," Mayor Steve Callaway told Patch in an email. "Year after year, our residents recognize the value of the services our city delivers, and the importance of maintaining the high quality of life that is special and unique to Hillsboro."

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