Voter registration due Aug. 5 for referendum
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According to Election Administrator Donna Yates, anyone who is not a registered city voter who wishes to cast their ballot on the sales tax issue must register at the election office or send in their voter registration application by Aug. 5. Early voting will be held Aug. 15 through Aug. 30 in the normal early voting office located in the rear of the Administrative Office Building on Locust Street. The main election will be held Sept. 4 with polls open around the city.
At stake is whether the city of McMinnville will raise the sales tax rate to the state maximum. The increase would be by three-quarters of a cent from its present level to 2.75 cents. Should the initiative fail, city residents could see a property tax increase this year.
The county passed on joining in a county-wide referendum, opting to hold their vote next year. A similar city sales tax referendum, held in conjunction with the general election last year, failed by a slim margin.
While reminding potential voters of the registration deadline, Yates pointed out one of the major concerns is ensuring out-of-city voters are informed. Election law permits persons who do not live in the city to vote in city elections so long as they own property in the city. However, the person must be registered to vote on the city property in addition to their regular registration. Specifically, an out-of-city voter cannot appear at the polls and ask to vote in a city election if they have not first registered themselves (by the registration deadline) to vote on their property.