Ballot snapshot for Coos County May Primary

Apr. 3—The May Primary for Oregon is quickly approaching in what is shaping up to be a divisive and contentious election cycle. In order to cut through the rhetoric and over-promising ever present in any election, here are the basics that you need to know for your Coos County primary election.

Ballots

In Oregon, no voter will see all the candidates on their ballot. Instead, the spring primary is set up to allow major political parties to nominate contenders for the General Election ballot, where pivotal positions like the presidency are decided. To cast a vote in a major party's nominations, individuals must be registered with that party at least 21 days before the election date, slated for April 30, 2024.

This deadline also applies to new voter registrations for those who hope to partake in the May Primary Election. Those aligned with minor parties, or unaffiliated voters, will exclusively receive ballots for nonpartisan races.

Come May 2, 2024, all active registered voters in Coos County will receive their ballots via mail. For those who haven't received their ballots by May 9th, the Elections Office can be reached at (541) 396-7610 or via email at elections@co.coos.or.us. Additionally, voters can monitor the status of their ballots online approximately 45 days before the election at www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote.

Local Measures

Measure 6-213 — Public Safety Levy

This measure is to institute a local property levy of $0.98/$1,000 of assessed property value for 5 years, or until the levy is fully funded. Funds raised will go toward expanding the capacity of the Coos County jail and supporting the District Attorney's office with their backlog of cases.

Measure 6-211 — Advisory Question for Coos Bay Library

According to the city, the Coos Bay Public Library in downtown Coos Bay is failing structurally. This ballot item has the purpose of polling Coos Bay citizens on where they think is best to build the new library. One proposal is to tear down and rebuild the library on its current lot, which is estimated to cost $35 million. The other proposal is to build on Ocean Blvd, adjacent to Cascade Farm & Outdoor. This is estimated to cost $28 million, and the Ocean Blvd site would include a 911 dispatch and disaster response center.

Measure 6-214 — General Obligation Bonds for Coquille School District

This measure sees Shall Coquille School District No. 8 issuing General Obligation Bonds for a total $14,555,000. These would have a tax rate of $1.41/$1000 of assessed value and would go toward a host of safety and infrastructure improvements for Coquille Junior/Senior High School, Coquille Valley Elementary, and the Lincoln School of Early Learning. If funded, the State will provide up to $6 million in matched funds to the District.

Measure 6-212 — Myrtle Point Health District Ambulance Levy

This is another 5-year levy which will allow the Myrtle Point Health District to maintain and upgrade their ambulance services and related staffing. It will cost $0.30/$1000 of assessed property value, hoping to raise a total of over $775,000. Funds will go toward paying for operating costs, replacing old equipment, and maintaining hiring and training.

Local Candidates

There are two contested local elections, and two positions with candidates running unopposed. Those two contested positions and their candidates are as follows:

County Commissioner, Position 1, Term of 4 years

Drew Farmer: Nonpartisan affiliation. Navy Veteran. Former ORCCA Executive Director, Former Bay Area Enterprises Executive Director. Coos Bay City Councilor since 2016. BS in Sociology & Psychology from Portland State University.

Chris Castleman: Nonpartisan affiliation. Handyman, Software Engineer, and Restaurant owner. Participated as a Class Senator in the Student Senate of Canisius College. BA in Computer Science from Canisius College, Buffalo, NY.

Robert "Bob" Main: Current incumbent. Nonpartisan affiliation. Former Coos County Asessor. Also served as Vice President of O&C Association, BOEM Representative for State of Oregon, OPAC Representative for State of Oregon. BS in Business Administration and Mathematics from Southern Oregon College.

County Assessor, Term of 4 Years

Jeff Etzel — Nonpartisan affiliation. Currently Coos Country Commercial & Industrial Appraiser. Multiple appraisal

courses from Department of Revenue and International Association of Assessing Officers. No prior elected government experience. BS in Computer Science from Baker College.

Jason E Corbus — Republican affiliation. Currently Residential Property Appraiser with CCAO. 17 years management experience at Safeway, Inc. No prior elected government experience. Gen Ed studies at SWOCC.

This general overview should give you a basic idea of what the measures do and who the candidates are. It is always imperative for one to do their due diligence before casting their vote. More information on each measure and candidate is available on the Coos County website: https://www.co.coos.or.us/clerk/page/may-21-2024-primary-election