RECALL MEDFORD CITY COUNCIL!
CITIZENS for a RESPONSIVE CITY COUNCIL, 03.09.2006 21:46
Councilors ignored Medford's residents! A recall is democracy in action.
We need change right now - the citizens of Medford can't afford two more years of poor and costly decisions.
Medford residents are paying the taxes - they should have a say in where the money comes from and where it goes. No more taxation without representation!
Residents & citizen groups all over Medford are in agreement and united.
RECALL Five Councilors!
Trouble in Medford City Hall
RECALL MEDFORD CITY COUNCIL!
"What's that all about?"
Five City Councilors are being recalled for disregarding citizen input, and for making decisions leading to reduced city services, unnecessary taxes and fees, excessive growth and traffic congestion, and diminished quality of life.
Go to: 
http://www.ResponsiveCouncil.org
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SUMMARY OF COUNCILORS' GROSS MISTAKES
DISREGARDING CITIZEN INPUT
In April they refused to address convincing input that showed Medford Urban Renewal Agency (MURA) should be discontinued. They instead voted to fund Middleford Commons and to extend MURA's taxing ability for an additional 12 years.
They ignored repeated citizens' requests for a traffic study to determine impact of the new Wal-Mart store. The matter is again before the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).
They ignored pleas for Cedar Link area residents and approved development that will hurt residents, now also under appeal to LUBA.
Despite a huge protest from a neighborhood, they ratified a badly designed South Interchange plan. They damaged a neighborhood while claiming to have no power with ODOT. In contrast the Phoenix City Council listened and acted to resolve its traffic dispute!
REDUCED SERVICES
The fire department has had the same number of staff for decades. The police department wants more officers to cope with the increased demands of our city's growth. Call volumes are up and so are response times. They proposed funding more firefighters, police and parks revenue with an additional fee on your water bill. There are already sewer, street and park maintenance fees attached to your water bill. The city claims property taxes do not cover these expenses and it cannot build the sports park without additional resources. New, unmeasured growth will only increase these demands and further reduce services.
UNNECESSARY TAXES & FEES
Police and Fire services need to be funded BEFORE money is spent for special interest projects. Nearly $4 million is diverted to MURA each year. We lose $900,000 from the city's general fund that could provide police, fire and other services. Since 1988 MURA has not fulfilled its promise or expectations - the growth and tax revenues promised have never materialized. Should we keep paying till 2025 and gamble on better results? Fees paid by new developments (SDC's) should reflect the actual cost to the city as a whole.
EXCESSIVE GROWTH
Poorly planned growth is excessive growth. Road, sewer, water and park development must be forecast. Infrastructure construction must stay ahead of new development or the result will be congestion and reduced quality of life. Look at the area around Barnett road and Stewart - imagine 8,000 more car trips per day! How many more per day on Highland Drive? Imagine North Phoenix Road after the Manor expansion, Cedar Landing, the South East project and who knows what else. The council didn't see this coming? Didn't plan for it? WHY?
DIMINISHED QUALITY OF LIFE
Sitting in traffic, breathing exhaust fumes, "seeing" and smelling the local atmosphere, multi-story buildings in a residential area, not being able to back out of the driveway, can't find a place to park, too long in line, more crime
. . . . . . . . . . . . . That's what we're talking about! Does it have to turn out this way? Not if it is carefully planned.
Under the current City Council careful, measured planning is not happening.
http://www.ResponsiveCouncil.org
CITIZENS for a RESPONSIVE CITY COUNCIL
725 Royal Avenue, #19, Medford, OR 97504
541-734-5564 
info1@responsivecouncil.org
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medford city council recall 10.09.2006 - 23:11 your effort is misdirected. recalls should only be used for politicians who have done something morally or ethically or criminally wrong. this is what elections are for. beside as your comparison in the paper today suggests, please tell me where you can find a house in medford for $114,00, it would not be fit to live in. if you want your views known why not go to the public meetings. i read that at the meeting to vote for middleford commons only 3 members of the public showed up. maybe it was you, but as for most citizens (not myself) they just dont care middleford commons will be good for the city as a tax base if nothing else. i am pretty much against all growth, but if lithia leaves downtown there will just be a bunch of ugly lots drawing weeds trash and homeless people. so lithia and middleford are a much better choice. Sally Franklin>  e-mail::
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