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<br />MR. SORENSON. STATED THAT ALL NAMES ON THE PETITION OPPOSING pHIS ANNEXATION WERE THOSE OF
<br />PEOPLE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES, THAT THE PETITIONS WERE SECURED WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. HE SAID
<br />THAT WHEN EVERYTHING IS BROUGHT OuT INTO THE OPEN A LARGE NUMBER HAVE REGRETTED THEIR ERROR OF-,
<br />SIGNING THE PETITIONS FOR THIS ANNEXATION.
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<br />A QUESTION AROSE AS TO WHAT TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN IF THIS AREA WERE ANNEXED? How WOULD
<br />THEY GET TRANSPORTED TO EUGENE SCHOOLS?
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<br />MR. tOBAUGH HAD NO DEFINITE ANSWER, BUT TRANSPORTATION WOULD BE NECESSARY. THE CLOSEST
<br />SCHOOL HE SAID WAS WHITTAKER, 1-2/10 MILES, NEXT ;WASl:INCOLN, 1-4/10 MILES AND WESTMORELAND
<br />SCHOOL IS 2-2/~0 MILES FROM THiS DISTRICT.
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<br />REVEREND J. T. TAYLOR OF THE COLORED ~ETHOOIST E~lSCOPAL CHURCH ON WEST 11TH TOLD'OF
<br />EXiSTING CONDITIONS IN THAT AREA. HE SAID PEOPLE ARE liVING WITHOUT WATER, WITHOUT SEWERS,
<br />AND THAT CHILDREN COULD NOT ~O TO SCHOOL FOR ONE MONTH BECAUSE THE WATER WAS TOO DEEP. THE
<br />LAND CANNOT BE FARMED, SO NO ONE MAKES A LIVING FROM THE LAND. HE SAID WELLS HAVE BEEN DUG, AS
<br />DEEP AS 800 FEET, BUT THE WATER IS NOT FI~ TO DRINK, AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THESE FACILITIES
<br />FOR THESE PEOPLE TO LIVE AND BE HEALTHY AND MAKE A LIVING.
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<br />MAYOR JOHNSON STATED THAT A NEWLY ANNEXED AREA SHOULD NOT EXPECT IMMEDIATE'RELIEF--THAT IT
<br />WOULD BE QUITE SOME TIME 'BEFORE THE CITY CAN AFFORD TO BRING DRAINAGE, SEWERS AND OTHER BENEFITS.
<br />IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY COME FIRST TO AREAS ALREADY ANNEXED INTO THE CITY. SUCH IMPROVE-
<br />MENTS REQUIRE LARGE EXPENDITURES, AND ND IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS'COULD BE MADE IN THAT'AREA.
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<br />MR. DONALD HUSBAND, REPRESENTING BETHEL WATER DISTRICT STATED THAT HE HAD WATCHED THE GROWTH
<br />OF THAT DISTRICT FROM A SMALL AREA.' HE STATED THAT THE ANNEXATION WOULD HURT THE CITY, BUT
<br />MORE SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. As FAR AS THE WATER DISTRICT, IT WOULD HURT THAT DISTRICT GON-
<br />SIDERABLY BY COMING INTO THE CITY OF EUGENE. TH~Y WOULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXISTING
<br />BONDED INDEBTEDNESS AND INTEREST IN THE AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY $297,000.00 OVER THE ENTIRE
<br />BETHEL lATER DISTRICT. HE STATED,THE WATER DISTRICT HAD NO OBJECTION TO THE CITY TAKING THE
<br />AREA OF WEST 11TH, BUT DID NOT THINK THEY SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO TAKE-A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF
<br />THEIR WATER DISTRICT. THIS DISTRICT HAS PROVIDED ITSELF WITH WATER AND FIRE PROTECTION AND HE
<br />STATED HE THOUGHT THE PEOPLE, WOULD BE MAK;lNG A MISTAKE. ONCE AN AREA IS ANNE-XED, THE AREA 15
<br />TAKEN OUT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TAKEN AS A PART-OF THE CITY TO WHICH IT IS ANNEXED. TWO
<br />BUDGETS WOULD HAVE TO BE TURNED IN TO THE COUNTY ASSESSOR. ONE FOR EXISTING AREA AND THEIR
<br />OPERATIONS, AND ONE ,FOR THE AREA OUTSIDE.
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<br />MR. JOHN LUVAAS, ATTORNEY FOR BETHEL SCHOOL ;BOARD PRESENTED FIGURES TO THE COUNCIL'TO HELP
<br />THE COUNCIL SEE THE PICTURE MORE CLEARLY AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION WOULD BE
<br />ON THE SCHOOL'DISTRICT.' HE HAS ,BEEN CONNECTED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SINCE ITS INFANCY UNTIL
<br />NOW. IT IS A ,FINE OUTSTANDING SYSTEM, AND ITS NEW HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH MANY HAVE 'SEEN IS ONE OF
<br />THE MOST MODERN AND OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS IN THE ENTIRE STATE. HE STATED THAT SINCE 1940 SCHOOL
<br />DISTRICT NO. 52 HAS INCREASED 23% PER YEAR IN CENSUS CHILDREN. BETHEL DISTRICT WHICH IS NOW
<br />MOST HEAVILY POPULA~ED, HAS,LITTLE ROOM FOR MORE PEOPLE AND MORE CHILDREN. THE PEOPLE IN THAT
<br />AREA ARE BEGINNING iTO GE~ THE FRUITS OF THEIR WORK. DANEBO AND IRVING CHILDREN AR& INCREASING
<br />AND THE PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE AND MORE EXPENSES WILL BE REQU~RED. HE ADVISED THAT THE TOTAL
<br />ASSESSED VALUATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 52 IS $5,678,874 AS OF AUGUST 1949, TO BE INCREASED
<br />SLIGHTLY. AN ANALYSiS HAS BEEN MADE OF THE VALUATION OF THE AREA THAT ANNEXATION IS PROPOSED
<br />TO RE~OVE, SHOWING REAL VALUE $650,930.00; PERSONAL PROPERTY $1,126,731, IN-ADDITION TO SOUTHER~
<br />PACIFIC ASSESSED VALUATION, $863,194.00. THIS TAKES A BIG PORTION OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFI C
<br />PROPERTY--ESTIMATED THAT THE PORTION OF SOUTHERN PACIFIC THAT WILL BE TAKEN IS NOT LESS THAN
<br />85%. FIGURES ARE NOT EXACT. THIS WOULD BE A TOTAL VALUATION LOST OF $2,640,855 OUT OF
<br />$5,678,874, LEAVING $3,038,019. .PERCENTAGE OF VALUATION REMOVED - 46-1/2%. TOTAL CHI~DREN
<br />ATTENDING SCHOOL AT BETHEL ARE 1,023. TOTAL STUDENTS WHO LEAVE IN AREA ARE 56 GRADE, 26 ~IGH
<br />SCHOOL AND A TOTAL OF 82. 8.01% OF !HE STUDENTS - 46-1/2% OF THE WEALTH. THE -TOTAL ASSEtS or
<br />THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AT THIS TIME - $1,146,837. BONDED INDEBTEDNESS IS LARGE - CLOSE TO THE
<br />LIM~T - $673,500, LEAVING A NET VALUATION OF ASSETS OVER LIABILITY OF $473,337. UNDER THE
<br />OREGON SCHOOL ~AW, WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ANNEXED, EVEN IF IT IS A FIRST CLASS DISTRICT,
<br />THAT PORTION WHICH IS ANNEXED ,AUTOMATICALLY BECO~ES A PORTION OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
<br />UPON ANNEXATION, THE DISTRICT BEING REMOVED IS.46-1/2%, DISTRICT IN WHICH SCHOOL BUILDING IS
<br />LOCATED. BUILDINGS CANNOT BE REMOVED - THEY RETAIN ALL THE BUiLDINGS. PORTION WHICH RETAINS
<br />ALL THE BUILDINGS A~SO ASSUMES THE INDEBTEDNESS. THE REMAINING PORTION OF T~E DISTRICT WOULD
<br />BE REQUIRED TO PAY TO DISTRICT #4, IMMEDIATELY, $2'8,201.71. IN ORDER TO PAY THIS' AMOUNT IT
<br />WOULD BE REQUIRED TO TAKE BANKRUPTCY OR -HAVE A SPECIAL LEVY. 72.4 MILLS IS SPECIA'L LEVY WHICH
<br />WOULD BE ADDEO TO NEXT YEARS TAX LEVY. 82 -STUDENTS WILL BE LOST. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THEY WILL
<br />GAIN THAT NEXT YEAR. AMOUNT TO BE PAID IN MILLAGE TO MEET 'NEXT YEAR'S OPERATING BUDGET AND TO
<br />PAY INDEBTEDNESS WILL BE 118 MILLS., IN ADDITION TO THAT THERE WilL BE A SMALL MILLAGE MADE BY
<br />THE COUNTY OF 12.9 MILLS. MILLAGE FOR NEXT YEAR IS 203.3 MILLS FOR BETH~L SCHOOL DISTRICT.
<br />BUDGET WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME NEXT YEAR. WEST 11TH HAS A PROBLEM. WHEN IT WASPROPOSED THAT
<br />THE CITY TAKE IN W. 11TH IT VIAS MENTIONED THAT THE CITY WOULD BE VERY FOOLISH TO TAKE IN THAT
<br />AREA ALONE AND WITH VERY LITTLE ASSESSED VALUATION. IT IS A LOSING PROPOSITION~ 199 INDIVIDUAL
<br />TAX PAYERS IN THAT AREA TO BE ANNEXED AND INDUSTRIES WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE. MANY OWN
<br />PROPERTY AND DO NOT LIVE THERE SO WILL NOT GET TO VOTE. MANY ARE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS AND
<br />ONLY A SMALL GROUP WILL CONTROL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
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