The Stayton City Council has proposed a scaled-down version of a parks and pool levy for the May 19 ballot after a previous measure was rejected by voters in November.
During their regular meeting Feb. 17, the council unanimously approved a resolution proposing a property tax of $0.985 per $1,000 of assessed value.
This would increase property taxes is an estimated $7.50 per month for the average homeowner in Stayton, and would take effect July 1 for a period of five years.
The city has said the increase would help meet rising costs related to payroll and maintenance, which are currently being supplemented by the city’s general fund. If the levy fails the city has said parks services could be reduced to simple maintenance and the Stayton Family Memorial Pool could be forced to close.
Councilor Ken Carey said Feb. 17 losing parks and pool services for a small town like Stayton “would just be a huge detriment to this city.
“I would hate to live in a city where our parks are closed, our pool is closed,” said Carey.
A previous levy proposal of $1.10 per $1,000 was rejected by 57 percent of voters during the Nov. 4, 2025, election. An existing levy of $0.60 per $1,000 was passed by 70 percent of voters in 2021. It expires in July.
To gather voter feedback, the city held public workshops in December and January. Residents said they were concerned about higher taxes in general and whether or not the city had explored alternatives. Some residents also questioned the value of the pool, which is utilized by a smaller population than those who use city parks.
City Manager Julia Hajduk said the city has looked into grant opportunities but such funding is typically for new projects and not existing services. She said, even if the city reduces spending to just maintain the status quo, there would still need to be an increase because “everything is going up in cost.”
Taking feedback from the workshops, the council examined possible reductions in parks and pool spending to bring the proposed levy rate to less than $1 per $1,000. During a work session Feb. 2, the council opted to reduce one parks position to part-time, call off efforts to re-open Wilderness Park, and increase usage fees for swim teams who use the pool.
These changes allowed the city to reduce the rate to the $0.985 per $1,000 proposed by the council. Mayor Brian Quigley said Feb. 17 this was “the bare-bones dollar amount” the city would need to sustain parks and pool services.
Councilor Jordan Ohrt said maintaining parks and the pool was about more than providing public services. She said Stayton is a “regional hub” with visitors from Salem, the Santiam Canyon and elsewhere, and facilities like the parks and pool help draw visitors in and keep them in town.
“We need to pass this levy so we can keep those resources open,” said Ohrt.
Jack Burnett, with Friends of the Stayton Pool, told the council his group is forming a committee to help promote the levy and show residents the value of the pool as a community resource. He said the pool is about more than recreation and can provide children with life-saving swimming lessons, help with injury recovery and support athletic scholarships for local students.
