County Ire over Light Rail Expenditures Reaches a New Level

To All COLA LO Members,

A referendum effort is now underway to prevent Clackamas County from issuing bonds in advance of the September 18th light rail vote. 

This reaches a new level in voter frustration over the actions of the county commissioners and their efforts to issue bonds paying for light rail prior to the vote on a new ballot measure.

Ballot measure 3-401 is up for a vote on September 18th.  It would require that all expenditures for light rail be subject to a county wide vote.    The county commissioner voted to issue bonds in advance of this vote to finance the green line to Milwaukie. 

This provoked the ire of citizens and now we have a new referendum measure being approved to prevent this direction.   its a new low in voter confidence with elected officials.   The chief petitioner made the following statement:

"Those county commissioners work at every turn to keep voters out of light rail decisions," Knapp said Tuesday night in an e-mail. "Now that county voters are ready to take away the light rail credit card, commissioners want to rack up $20 million before they lose it. But state law gives voters the right to put these bonds up for a vote if we gather enough signatures, and we intend to exercise that right.

Details can be found in a series of articles including Referendum Against  and local blogger view in Clackastanis Fight.  Overall its a sad statement about the level of support for our representatives and the extent at which the system is taken to resolve issues.   We leave it to the reader to decide their individual views on the matter.  

Please notify all  members, contacts, and friends.