Citizens in Charge

Supporters of an initiative to create a system of medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon have submitted petitions with more than 110,000 signatures in hopes of getting on the ballot this fall. The Coalition for Patients’ Rights was able to gather the signatures before an early submission deadline, requiring the state Elections Division to immediately determine whether there are enough valid signatures to meet the minimum of about 83,000 needed to qualify.

While Ashland residents waited for the arrival of ballots for the Nov. 3 special election, stakeholders continue making their arguments over the fate of the city’s prepared food and beverage tax. Ballot measure 15-95 proposes extending Ashland’s 5 percent food and beverage tax until 2030. Eighty percent of funds collected are used to pay off an existing debt on the city’s wastewater treatment plant, while the remaining 20 percent is used to acquire open space to build parklands.