Average property taxes in Salem and Keizer rose 11 percent this year due to new school and library bonds, and increasing property values across the region. Salem residents who live in Marion County will pay $19.87 per $1,000 of assessed property value this year, up from $18.47 last year. On[Read More…]
By Salem Reporter
Audit finds Oregon pension system vulnerable to attacks, natural disasters
The Oregon State Capitol (Salem Reporter file) SALEM — The state’s public pension agency isn’t prepared for a major disaster like an earthquake or flood, and Oregonians’ personal information could be at risk if the agency doesn’t do more to protect its systems from attacks, state auditors say. More than[Read More…]
National political analyst: Oregon’s governor race a ‘tossup’
Oregon’s close gubernatorial race between Democratic Gov. Kate Brown and GOP candidate Oregon Rep. Knute Buehler has captured the attention of national political pundits. On Tuesday, the race made the front page of the Cook Political Report’s website, with analyst Jennifer E. Duffy upgraded the race to a “tossup” –[Read More…]
After lemonade stand success, Salem elementary student continues push to help homeless
Abel Najera-Banuelos, center, poses with his parents holding a certificate he received from the City of Salem for raising $100 for the city’s homeless rental assistance program. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As city officials work to house some of its most vulnerable homeless people, they’ve found an unlikely ally: 8-year-old Abel[Read More…]
Analysts say the close Oregon governor’s race to be settled in Washington, Clackamas counties
Rep. Knute Buehler and Gov. Kate Brown face off in the first of three gubernatorial debates in Portland on Oct. 2 (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) Gov. Kate Brown and Rep. Knute Buehler have traversed the state in search of swing voters to court. They have debated public pension reform, health care,[Read More…]
$1,200 in concessions stolen from McKay Boosters
Snacks strewn around the McKay Booster Club concession area following a weekend burglary. (Courtesy/Stephanie Mentado) A thief stole about $1,200 of concessions from the McKay Booster Club over the weekend after cutting multiple locks to get into the stand. Angela Saar, the club treasurer, said about 10 cases of water[Read More…]
Buehler invested in tax credits that became state scandal
State Rep. Knute Buehler (File/Portland Tribune) SALEM —Knute Buehler stumped on the floor of the Oregon House of Representatives to decry the state’s controversial business energy tax incentives. Buehler, then a state representative and now the Republican nominee for governor, left out one fact in his speech. He and his[Read More…]
From chickens to guns, local voters in Oregon face measures
SALEM — While statewide attention is focused on controversial ballot measures, many Oregon voters face local decisions on issues that go above and beyond core public services. A total of 104 city and county measures are on ballots across the state Nov. 6. They range from whether the Astoria School[Read More…]
State forecast shows a significant decline in imprisonment over the next 10 years
The Oregon State Correctional Institution east of Salem (Salem Reporter file photo) The incarceration rate in Oregon’s prison system is projected to fall 15 percent over the next decade due in large part to sentencing reform. The projection, done by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and published Oct. 1,[Read More…]
Energy Department puts fixes in place to stunt scandal, audit report says
SALEM — In the wake of a scandal over the state’s handling of energy tax incentives, the Oregon Department of Energy has cleaned up its process, state auditors say. The state Audits Division report, released Wednesday, assessed whether energy officials implemented recommendations made earlier by state and private auditors and[Read More…]
