Voters in Newport have rejected a pair of tax proposals on the ballot that city leaders said were needed to prevent more cuts to services.
The two measures were both referred to the ballot by the Newport city council. Voters turned down both proposals by wide margins, according to returns posted by the Lincoln County Clerk's office.
One would have created a five percent tax on restaurant meals. The other would have raised the city’s gas tax to five cents per gallon year round. It’s currently either one cent or three cents depending on the time of year.
Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer said it comes after the city trimmed jobs from both its police and fire department over the past few years. "I feel so bad for our police and firemen right now, because they're working very, very hard with less staff," he said in an interview with KLCC Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to look at our budget going forward with the budget committee and the city council to figure out what other cuts we may have to make,” said Sawyer.
City leaders said both proposals were meant to raise revenue from tourists who use city services but who don’t directly contribute to the city’s tax base.
Elsewhere in Lincoln County, voters in the North Lincoln Fire & Rescue District gave a resounding approval to a five-year tax levy proposal. The exact same proposal had narrowly failed during the May election.
Voters in the Seal Rock Fire Protection District also approved a local option tax. But voters in the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District rejected a funding proposal.
