[1]By Taxpayer Association of Oregon [2]
It has recently come to our attention that Clatsop County commissioners are preparing to flush $12 million taxpayer dollars down the toilet.
In 2016, Linn County initiated a class-action lawsuit against the State of Oregon for breach of contract over Oregon’s Forest Trust Land. In addition to Linn County, class members include more than 150 Oregon counties and special districts that are beneficiaries of dedicated revenues from management of county forest trust lands. These revenues fund critical services provided by sheriff offices, libraries, education, care centers and other county services.
The State of Oregon has been exposed for willfully breaking their contract by freezing up dedicated timber land which has devastated tax revenue owed to the counties.
Clatsop County could stand to receive $12 million annually from the breach of contract lawsuit. Yet, extreme environmental groups are encouraging Clatsop County Commissioners to opt out of the statewide lawsuit.
Linn County is leading the massive coalition of county and cities in this lawsuit. Linn County stated to KVAL-TV News “We believe that since 2000 at least, these counties have been deprived of $35 million a year that otherwise would have been theirs. All of those local districts are desperately in need of funding, especially in the area of public safety.” (March 10, 2016 [3])
You have a prime opportunity to Act Now before the January 11th vote and tell your commissioners not to walk away from money that belongs to you by contract. If the county walks away from this money, you can expect your taxes to go up to make up for strained county budgets and to pay for necessary improvements on the horizon for public safety, education and other basic services.
The objective of the lawsuit is to force the state to reimburse class members for a loss of revenue since the State de-emphasized sustainable timber harvest on state forests, in direct conflict with the law. For more information on the background of the lawsuit, please visit Linn County’s website at www.co.linn.or.us (scroll down from main page to litigation section).
Call your Clatsop County Commissioners and tell them to not opt-out of the Oregon’s Forest Trust Land lawsuit. Your commissioners have a fiduciary responsibility to their tax payers not to leave potentially $490 million on the table and then turn around and raise taxes to pay for services.
Please call or write your commissioner today and tell them it is unacceptable to walk away from millions of necessary county dollars simply to appease uncompromising environmental activists!
Commissioner Scott Lee – Chair
Mail to: 1089 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 468-8715
[email protected]
Commissioner Sarah Nebeker
Mail to: PO Box 2184, Gearhart OR 97103
(503) 738-8121
[email protected]
Commissioner Lisa J. Clement
Mail to: 1840 SE Third St., Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-1067
[email protected]
Commissioner Lianne Thompson
Mail to: PO Box 1187, Cannon Beach, OR 97110
(503) 436-9013
[email protected]
ATTEND THE NEXT COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING
Jan 11, 6 p.m., Judge Guy Boyington Building
located at 857 Commercial St. in downtown Astoria