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465
COMMISSIONER'S PROCEEDINGS VOL. 0
JEFFERSON COUNTY WASHINGTON
T111,tIC . IVI..Y .el '....M.
1'lHEREAS \'/asllington' s system of county government was designed to serve the
regional needs of the state and its citizens, and in this broad capacity it has direct
responsibility for an ever-widening array of social and envirormental proGrams which
are eGsentiul to the jJubli cheal th and welfare j and
~HEREAS the ch~nging character of society, us evidenced by burgeoning urban-
ization, has hastened the demand for new und expanded public programsj and most of
these demands were not contemplated when county revenue sources were eotabliGhedj and
\.'lHEREASthe result is a notorious and alarming finOtnciul incapacity on the part
of the counties to respond adequately, or even minimally, to the growing needs for
such programs as crime prevention and basic law enforcement, community mental health
and retardation, family counseling and juvenile guidance and rehabilitation,j and
IffiEREAS present financial limitations will not allow county government to force-
fully respond to the demands for maintenance of public parks and recreation systems,
programs of air and water pollution control, fundamental public health service~, or
long range planning capabilities, all so essential to the future quality of the state's
environmen~j and
'lnIEREAS the solution to the financial crisis of county government, and one
clearly ip keeping with reason and tradition, is the return of local property tax
millage equivalent to that removed by 1953 legislative enactment in such a manner as
to allow time for legislative attention to necessary funding reaojustmentsj and
\~~EREAS, it changes the existing state law relating to the allocation of property
tax millage wit~in the constitutional forty mill limit by removing the state's continuing
authority to levy up to two mills on all property within the state, and it would not
effect the temporary bEnnial authority of the state to levy an additional two mills
for school purposes as was authorized in the 1967 session of the Legislatu~ej and
\ffiEREAS, removal of the states's authority is accompanied by specific authoriz-
ation for any county to levy the same two mills for general county purposes and this mil-
lage would be in addition to that presently allotted to counties for general govern-
mental purposes, its use would be based upon nee d as determined by the board of county
commissioners; and
~mEREAS, no levies made in 1968 would be affected and since revenue from the
two mill levy made by the state in 1968 would be collectible in 1969, the ptate's
income from, this source would continue through 1969j and beginning on January 1, 1970,
collectible revenue from the two mills would accrue to the benefit of the counties,
which would allow for an ihtervening session of the Legislature before the. change-
over datl'!j and
WHEREAS, vlithout mentioni.ng spec::j.fic amounts, it would reduce property taxes,
and the revenue collected from t~w mills at the s~ate level is equivalent to such
millage applied against an assessment level of 50% of true and fair value 9f taxable
property as determined by the Department of Revenue which, if collected locally by
the counties, such two mills wou+d be applied against the county assessors' level of
value for tax pnrposes and is in all cases significantly under 50% and more near a
statewide average of 20% according to authoritative estimatesj and .
vlHEREAS JEFFERSOI( COUNTY subscribes to the principle that locally collected
taxes should be made available for local needs and purposesj
NOW, THEREFORE BE 1'1' RESOLVED that Jefferson County does hereby express its
strong endors~ment of Initiative Measure No. 244 \'lith a pledge of active support to
gain passage of the measure at the 1968 general election.
Dated this SbH day of April, 1968
SEAL
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Jd tor,~11.I&h(cfOCrerK of
ura of ~ounty Commissioners
1.1:00 a.m. hearing on the 'desienatlon' of oxisting Community Action Agaacy
as the authorhed agency in Jefferson County. i-Ir. Cupener, I'Jlrs. Levol, HI's. l~okes,
Mr. Hichard Tuepper and Doris Coates appeared for CAA. 'l'here were no objectors
prosen'li. Lyall Are,! moved und in the brief ub!:li:ll1ce of IliJ.r. j(olly, George Huntineford
seconded motion to continue present Agency by designation. Mrs. Coates will bring a
CAP Form 74 to be expedited by the Commissioners.
JvjE;.ftJ
l!jurray ~"alker of Arvid Grant, and Associates appeared regarding '702' water und
oewer planning" Mr. v!alkel' asked Cornmi sa10ners to l\.lCh. (and Engineer). They wi 11
meet with Mr. Lloyd Brumbaugh from the Farm Loan Agency (FHA) in the Commissioners
room right after lunch.
_ID'....__~~-VII till ~~
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