Burlington Water District Measure 26-269 — Five-Year Local Option Tax for Fire & Ambulance Operations (Multnomah County)

What it does

Shall the District create a new five-year levy of $1.70 per $1000 of assessed value for five years beginning 2027-2028? This measure creates new local option taxes which may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

A YES vote means

The Burlington Water District would create a new five-year levy of $1.70 per $1,000 of assessed value starting in 2027-2028, for fire and ambulance operations.

A NO vote means

The Burlington Water District would not create this new $1.70 per $1,000 levy.

What it would cost

1.7 mills for 5 years: $170 a year for every $100,000 of taxable value (a mill is $1 per $1,000). Taxable value is after exemptions such as homestead; your tax bill or property appraiser shows yours.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Only on your ballot if you live in the Burlington Water District.

Background

According to the District's explanatory statement, fire and ambulance service for the Burlington Water District comes from Portland Fire & Rescue under a contract with the District, paid for with property taxes from within the District.

The statement says emergency service costs have risen 10% a year over the past four years, nearly twice the average property tax increase, and that the District has no other funding source for them.

The $1.70-per-$1,000 levy would add to the District's existing $3.4269 permanent rate and raise an estimated average of $87,029 a year. The statement puts the added cost at $24 a month for the average $166,000 assessed property, or $11 for the median $77,000 property.

The District says the levy would not affect its water service or water rates.

Put on the ballot by Burlington Water District.

From official source.

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Burlington Water District Measure 26-269 mean?

The Burlington Water District would create a new five-year levy of $1.70 per $1,000 of assessed value starting in 2027-2028, for fire and ambulance operations.

What does a NO vote on Burlington Water District Measure 26-269 mean?

The Burlington Water District would not create this new $1.70 per $1,000 levy.

How many votes does Burlington Water District Measure 26-269 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Burlington Water District Measure 26-269?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.