Multnomah County - Measure 26-221
Referred to the People by the Board of County Commissioners
BALLOT TITLE
Five year levy: Oregon Historical Society Library, Museum, educational programs.
Question: Shall County renew 5-year history museum, library, educational programs levy; maintain $.05 per $1,000 assessed value, oversight, beginning 2021? This measure renews current local option taxes.
Summary: In 2016 voters approved a five-year local option levy of $.05 per $1,000 assessed property value to support the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). Renewal of this levy will continue support to the OHS’s museum, library, educational programs, and fund the following without increasing taxes:
- Educational programs;
- Free admission to school groups and Multnomah County residents;
- Preservation of important Oregon treasures and artifacts;
- Support four County historical societies: Fairview- Rockwood-Wilkes Historical Society, Gresham Historical Society, Troutdale Historical Society, and Crown Point Country Historical Society;
- OHS will continue to build on its efforts to provide exhibits and services that reflect the diverse histories of our region, and engage all parts of our county.
Levy continues rate of $.05 per $1,000 assessed property value, and replaces the 2016 levy. A home assessed at $200,000 pays $10 a year.
An independent citizen oversight committee will review expenditures to verify that funds are used as approved by voters.
Annual audits will be conducted and made public.
The levy will produce an estimated $3.35 million for fiscal year 2021-2022; $3.41 million for fiscal year 2022-2023; $3.57 million for fiscal year 2023-2024; $3.72 million for fiscal year 2024-2025; and $3.87 million for fiscal year 2025-2026.
The estimated cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE ONLY based on the best information available from the county assessor at the time of estimate.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Established in 1898, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) collects, maintains, and preserves the vast majority of historical records and artifacts for Portland and the state of Oregon. About 60% of the library materials relate directly to Multnomah County history, and OHS acts as the Multnomah County Historical Society.
In addition to OHS’ collection of over 85,000 artifacts, 5 million photographs, 25,000 maps, and more, OHS maintains a museum and public research library in downtown Portland.
Approximately 70,000 visitors use these facilities a year, including about 8,000 schoolchildren who visit the museum for guided tours, and access the library to research Oregon history.
This Multnomah County local option levy will keep OHS’ museum open seven days a week (47 hours a week) and the library open to the public 32 hours a week. It supports curation for the museum, and the continued collection and protection of Oregon’s historical artifacts and documents. Levy funds will also protect the collection of Oregon history documents and artifacts, and public access to those, at four East Multnomah County Historical Societies -- Fairview-Rockwood-Wilkes Historical Society, Gresham Historical Society, Troutdale Historical Society, and Crown Point Country Historical Society -- which together will receive $160,000 of the levy each of the five years.
The levy supports continuation of educational programs including free admission for all school groups who visit the museum and library, and for all County residents -- providing access to those otherwise unable to visit due to cost. Funds shall be allocated in a manner that supports an OHS board, partnerships, staff, exhibits and programs that proactively represent Multnomah County’s diverse cultures.
The cost of the levy renewal is $.05 (five cents) per $1,000 assessed property value, beginning 2021 through 2026. For example, the owner of a home assessed by the County at $200,000 will continue to pay $10 a year for this levy.
Accountability is a component of the levy. The Multnomah County Chair will continue to appoint an independent citizens oversight committee -- representative of Multnomah County’s diverse communities -- to review all levy expenditures and ensure funds are spent as approved by voters, and shall advise and support OHS in ensuring that its board, partnerships, staff, exhibits and programs proactively represent Multnomah County’s diverse cultures. In addition, Multnomah County will continue to select an auditor, for which OHS will pay, to conduct annual audits of levy funds that will be made available to the public.
This levy will fund approximately one-third of operations at OHS. Other funds come from admissions, grants, and private donations.
Submitted by:
Eric Arellano, Chief Financial Officer Multnomah County
No arguments in opposition to this measure were filed.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
For over a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the safeguard for our rich history. Measure 26-221 will help to preserve what makes our home unique, without raising the tax rate.
Thousands of students visit the Oregon Historical Society’s museum and library each year—in person and online—to discover the people, places, and events that have shaped our home.
During a year like no other, as a global pandemic and nightly protests shone a bright light on racial inequality, the Oregon Historical Society upheld its responsibility to provide context and record these moments for future generations.
Renewing the levy will allow the Oregon Historical Society to continue its important education and preservation work as a repository of Oregon’s history, by providing:
- Free admission to all Multnomah County residents and school groups.
- Free public lectures and educator workshops.
- Original exhibitions showcasing Multnomah County’s diverse cultures.
- Preservation of millions of documents, photographs, and artifacts.
- Support for four local Multnomah County historical societies in East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, and Crown Point.
Help preserve Oregon history and education, all without raising the tax rate. Please join us in voting “YES” on Measure 26-221.
Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury
Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
Portland Public School Board Chair Eilidh Lowery
David Douglas School Board Chair Andrea Valderrama
Former Governor Barbara Roberts
Former Governor Ted Kulongoski and Mary Oberst
Former State Senator Margaret Carter
Former State Senator Avel L. Gordly
Former Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel
Former Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz
Mark Moore, Executive Director, Gresham Historical Society
Peggy Olin, President, East County Historical Organization
LeAnn Stephan, Executive Director, Troutdale Historical Society
Charles A. Rollins, President, Crown Point Country Historical Society
Laura Lo Forti, Vanport Mosaic
Helen Ying, Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Zachary Stocks, Executive Director, Oregon Black Pioneers
Willie Richardson, President, Oregon Black Pioneers
Judith Margles, Director, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Help Keep Oregon History Alive
The Oregon Historical Society’s research library is an essential tool for our state’s artists, researchers, students, and teachers.
Oregonians of all stripes visit virtually or in person and come away having discovered photographs, maps, or letters connected directly to them.
Passing 26-221 will continue to support the research library, funding our preservation and digitization efforts, without raising taxes.
For more than 123 years, Oregonians have proudly supported the Oregon Historical Society in collecting, preserving, and displaying photographs, manuscripts, museum objects, and archeological finds about the history of Oregon. The Oregon Historical Society holds the largest collection in the world pertaining to the Oregon Country. The collections are renowned and well-used by visitors seeking to learn about Oregon, scholars researching topics for books or articles in OHS’ award-winning Oregon Historical Quarterly, and local residents interested in their neighborhoods or family history.
The collection includes:
- 85,000 artifacts
- 45,000 books and publications
- 20,000,000 photographs
- 25,000 maps
- 20,000 cubic feet of manuscripts
- Thousands of reels of motion picture film
- 2,800 oral history interviews
- Over 33,000 items in OHS Digital Collections
- Thousands of additional digitized items on the OregonHistory Project, Oregon Encyclopedia, and the library’s online catalog
Please join Oregon’s historians and researchers by voting YES for Oregon History.
Janice Dilg, Consulting Historian, HistoryBuilt
William F. Willingham, Ph. D., Consulting Historian
Johanna Ogden, M.A., Independent Historian
Nikki Mandel, Labor Historian, Professor of History Dr.
Carmen P. Thompson, Historian, Portland State University
Dr. Darrell Millner, Professor Emeritus, Portland State University
Katrine Barber, Associate Professor of History, Portland State University
Peggy Olin, President, East County Historical Organization (ECHO)
LeAnn Stephan, Executive Director, Troutdale Historical Society
Charles A. Rollins, President, Crown Point Country Historical Society
Sandy Cartisser, Treasurer, Crown Point Country Historical Society
Mark Moore, Executive Director, Gresham Historical Society
Leslie Radke, Board Member, Gresham Historical Society
Carol Neilsen, Board Member, Gresham Historical Society
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Teachers and Education Leaders Support Oregon History, and in return, the Oregon Historical Society supports us!
As local schoolteachers and education leaders, we have seen firsthand the impact the Oregon Historical Society has on our students as they discover the people, places, and events that have helped to shape our unique state.
By fourth grade, Oregon students have begun learning local history, including about the Indigenous people who have lived here since time immemorial, European and American explorers, and settlers from across the continent and across the Pacific Ocean. In later grades, students dig into the people and ideas that have shaped U.S. and Oregon history, including our state’s role in our nation’s story.
With Measure 26-221, Multnomah County school groups can continue to visit the Oregon Historical Society and access their amazing online resources for free, making history come alive and creating a positive difference for our students.
The Oregon Historical Society has supported us through the challenges of distance learning—providing professional development opportunities and project-based curriculum we can use with our students. OHS helped us provide high-quality learning even amidst school closures.
Nothing can compare to students seeing history before them, and as schools move back to in-person learning, we’re excited to visit OHS and introduce our students to the new Experience Oregon exhibit. By seeing artifacts firsthand, students can relate to our state’s visionary leaders like Oregon’s famed suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway and Presidential of Freedom Medal awardee and civil rights leader Minoru Yasui. Bringing a subject alive keeps students engaged long after they return to the classroom.
Please join us in voting yes for Measure 26-221 and in keeping this valuable resource available for future generations of Oregon students.
Portland Public School Board Chair Eilidh Lowery
David Douglas School Board Chair Andrea Valderrama
Abigail Webb,Teacher
Matt Campeau, Social Studies teacher, Ida B Wells High School
Amber Mondae-Bozman, North Portland Virtual Online Program
Claire Garrott, 6th and 7th grade Teacher, Rock Creek Middle School
Gregory J.K. Garcia, Jr.,Social Studies Teacher/Public Historian, Franklin High School
Sarah Anderson, Educator/Curriculum Designer, The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
East Multnomah County History Benefits from Measure 26-221
Multnomah County history is Oregon history, from Indigenous peoples to immigrants of past and present. Levy dollars enable us to preserve and pass down to future generations knowledge of the past, across our entire community.
Passing Measure 26-221 not only assists the Oregon Historical Society, it also provides essential support to four East Multnomah County Historical Societies. With levy support:
- East County Historical Organization (ECHO) continued their mission of preserving and stimulating an interest in the history of the Fairview, Rockwood and Wilkes areas of East Multnomah County and in their care of the historic Heslin House and Zimmerman House.
- Gresham Historical Society hired an executive director and significantly improved its ability to fulfill its mission and commitment to the local community.
- Troutdale Historical Society educated visitors at the King of the Roads Exhibit, which marked the centennial of the Columbia River Highway, and continued to gather and preserve material relating to the history of Troutdale, the Sandy River, and the Columbia River Gorge.
- Crown Point Country Historical Society moved forward with the ongoing construction of their exciting new museum in Corbett. This museum will include an “Indigenous People’s Path” that will chronicle the lives of the earliest people of this area and will include the oral, pictographic, and petroglyphic histories of indigenous peoples and tribal families.
As the directors of these regional historical societies, we know how important this levy is to the ongoing preservation of local letters, maps, oral histories, and artifacts. These are the treasures that help document the story of our unique area.
With your support for Measure 26-221, we can continue sharing knowledge, collections, expertise, and materials.
Please vote Yes for historic preservation in ALL of Multnomah County!
Mark Moore, Executive Director, Gresham Historical Society
Peggy Olin, President, East County Historical Organization
Charles A. Rollins, President, Crown Point Country Historical Society
LeAnn Stephan, Executive Director, Troutdale Historical Society
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Higher Education Professors for Oregon History Please vote Yes on Measure 26-221
Reading, studying, and interpreting Oregon’s history is as important to understanding our state’s past as it is to preparing for our future. Without the Oregon Historical Society, our local academics wouldn’t have access to the basic information we need.
We rely on the research library, museum, and Oregon Historical Quarterly for essential resources, including:
- Unique artifacts, including memorabilia from Oregon’s non- Indigenous settlements, political and cultural ephemera, items related to arts and crafts, maritime history, and experiences of diverse ethnic groups;
- Millions of feet of film, videotape, microfilm, and documents. With 20 million photographs that detail Oregon’s history available, there is really nothing like it in the world; and
- The Oregon Historical Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated entirely to Oregon history.
We ask that you join us in voting yes for Measure 26-221, renewing support for this go-to source for Oregon’s history.
Dr. Carmen P. Thompson, Historian, Portland State University
Dr. Darrell Millner, Professor Emeritus, Portland State University
Katrine Barber, Associate Professor of History, Portland State University
Dr. Shirley A. Jackson, Department of Sociology, Portland State University
Nikki Mandel, Labor Historian, Professor of History
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A Vote for 26-221 is a Vote for Our Local Culture
From Portland’s famous penny toss to ringing in the Chinese New Year to learning about the tragic Vanport flood, the Oregon Historical Society provides a rich and necessary context to our home, reminding us of how we got to where and who we are. OHS serves as our collective memory, and has done so for over 120 years.
As leaders of Oregon’s cultural and civic institutions we fully support the renewal of this important levy and recommend a Yes vote for Oregon History.
In addition, we are encouraged by the Oregon Historical Society’s continued work to reflect Multnomah County’s rich and diverse community—from its leadership and staff, to exhibits, partnerships, and programs.
We understand that Oregon’s rich history cannot be contained within a single story or point of view, and that re-examination and new interpretations are necessary as shifts occur within our society.
This resource is essential to Oregon’s cultural and civic community, providing inspiration and knowledge. It provides a platform to ask questions, make discoveries, and build connections with our neighbors.
We say Yes for Oregon History and Yes for Oregon’s Cultural Fabric.
Laura Lo Forti, Vanport Mosaic Jim Lommasson, Photographer
Sankar Raman, The Immigrant Story
Serena Cruz, Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation
Zachary Stocks, President, Oregon Black Pioneers
Willie Richardson, President, Oregon Black Pioneers
Helen Ying, Executive Vice President, Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Tracy Quan, Portland Chinatown History Foundation/ Chinatown Museum
Harris Matarrazo, Portland Chinatown History Foundation/ Chinatown Museum
Sarah Leong Chung, Portland Chinatown History Foundation/ Chinatown Museum
Judith Margles, Director, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
Douglas Detrick, Executive Director, Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A Measure with Oversight
As part of the original levy, the Multnomah County Chair appointed an independent citizens oversight committee to review all levy expenditures and ensure dollars are spent as approved by voters, a practice which will continue with the levy renewal.
The Levy Oversight Committee ensures the Oregon Historical Society has met its accountability targets, including:
- Ensuring a quality financial audit has been completed.
- Expanding hours of operation.
- Providing free access to Multnomah County residents.
- Supporting exhibits, programs, and operations that proactively represent Multnomah County’s diverse communities.
The Levy Oversight Committee is made up of community members, meets at least twice a year, and reports annually to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
Levy Oversight Committee Co-Chairs June Schumann and Diane McKeel presented to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on February 18, 2021 [agenda item R.1], and share the Committee’s findings:
“For the ten years since the levy’s inception, the citizens of Multnomah County including those who in the past might have been unable to afford it, have greatly benefited from free admission to a world class history museum and research library… it is the belief of the [Levy Oversight Committee] that Multnomah County residents have benefitted from a modest levy that supports a historical society that has provided free admission to compelling and educational exhibits and programs for the past ten years, and is committed to doing so for the next five years.” —June Schumann
“Thanks in no small part to the reliable levy funding, [the] four east county [heritage] organizations have continued to serve the residents of Multnomah County. As an East County resident, one of the most satisfying aspects of serving on the Levy Oversight Committee has been the opportunity to see how the levy funds have stabilized and energized these four organizations.” —Diane McKeel, regarding the local historical societies supported by the levy in East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, and Crown Point.
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Measure 26-221 Fulfills a Mission Important to All Oregonians
The Oregon Historical Society preserves our state’s history and makes it accessible to everyone in ways that advance knowledge and inspire curiosity about the people, places, and events that have shaped Oregon.
Renewing this levy will not only allow the Oregon Historical Society to continue its critical education and preservation work— work that persisted during the past year, with efforts like the Share your Story campaign that asked Oregonians to reflect on living through the pandemic—it will do it without raising taxes.
Moreover, we will continue to build exhibits and programs that reflect the diverse histories of our region and engage all parts of our county.
The Oregon Historical Society is Financially Responsible and Well Managed
As board and cabinet members, we can say with confidence that the Oregon Historical Society manages finances responsibly and transparently. An independent citizens oversight committee, appointed by the Multnomah County Chair As part of the original levy, reviews all levy expenditures and ensures dollars are spent as approved by voters.
Join the Oregon Historical Society Board and Cabinet in voting yes for Measure 26-221
President, Mary Faulkner
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Portland
Vice President, Mort Bishop III
Pendleton Woolen Mills, Portland
Secretary, Leslie Spencer
Community Volunteer, Portland
Treasurer, Jim Parker
UBS Financial Services, Portland
Serena Cruz
Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation
Frank Grady
Retired, Grady Britton, Portland
Dr. Steve Brown
Custom Decorators, Inc., Portland
April Clark
Event Assistant, Swaim Strategies
Janet Pardo
Community Volunteer, Portland
John Russell
Russell Development Co., Inc., Portland
Erin Zollenkopf
Susan Matlack Jones & Associates, Portland
John Herman
Former Chair of OHS Board of Trustees
Emily Rogers
Program Specialist, Cambia Health Foundation
Chris Rogers
ITS Systems Engineer, TriMet
Vera Warren
Judicial Law Clerk, Oregon Court of Appeals
Titles are for identification purposes only
(This information furnished by Inna Levin, Yes for Oregon History)
The printing of these arguments does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the arguments.
