Gresham voters have proven more receptive to a second stab at safety, voting in favor of a measure that bolsters funding for police and fire.
As of Wednesday evening, May 22, during the 2024 Primary Election, the Gresham Safety Levy has 56.04% “Yes” votes, with 43.96% saying “No.” More than 17,000 votes have been tallied.
“We are positive about the results, cautiously optimistic,” said Mayor Travis Stovall. “We are very thankful to all the folks who went out and voted.”
“It took a concerted effort to get everyone on board — our challenge was showing the upside to all this and talk with the community,” Stovall said. “We know that we need better support for our police officers and firefighters. This levy is an important step.”
Measure 26-247, the Gresham Safety Levy, is a five-year ask of $1.35 per $1,000 assessed value, equating to $25.65 per month for the average homeowner.
Many of the stakeholders who spent months campaigning on behalf of the levy gathered in downtown Gresham to anxiously await the results. Some were pros, like Mayor Stovall who has endured his fair share of drawn out, narrow elections.
Others, like Police Chief Travis Gullberg, were wading into unknown waters. He hadn’t experienced the stomach-dropping process of watching the computer slowly, painfully, refresh. The last election party he had been at was with his former boss, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese.
“Though to be fair he was usually running unopposed, so there wasn’t much drama,” Chief Gullberg said.
No one is popping champagne bottles, but maybe some sparkling water.
All involved know the vote could change in the coming hours, as more ballots are counted, but it was a great launching point for supporters of the levy.
“I’m honored for the support the community has given to first responders,” Chief Gullberg said. “They spoke about what they wanted this levy to look like, and we listened.”
“This didn’t happen overnight, and the changes won’t be seen immediately,” he added. “But it all started with this vote.”
If the historic result holds, the vote excised some of the demons from a year ago, when a first attempt at passing a safety levy failed by a heartbreakingly close margin for its supporters.
During the 2023 May Special District Election, 51.37% of voters were against the property tax bump, while 48.63% voted “Yes.” That was a difference of only 476 votes, with more than 13,3000 ballots tallied.
That had been the troubling trend for the city of Gresham. Since 2000 it had watched five previous funding asks get shot down by voters. The last to pass was a safety levy back in 1992, which sunset in 1997.
“This is a big deal,” the mayor said.
The new levy stabilizes staffing levels for the Gresham Police Department and Gresham Fire & Emergency Services. It retains an average of 30 existing public safety positions each year, and funds 13 new firefighters and 9 new officers.
One major change from last year’s levy was the removal of funding to the Gresham Homeless Services Team.
Since 2004, Gresham’s population has increased 19%, but in two decades the city has one less sworn officer and an increase of firefighter staffing of just 9%. Meanwhile the workload has exploded: calls for fire service has jumped 69%, and shootings in Gresham have spiked 400% in recent years.
That combo means fewer personnel responding slower to emergencies, and fewer officers preventing crimes.
“Gresham has too few firefighters and police officers for a city our size while calls for service are increasing,” Mayor Stovall said. “This means slower response times and fewer neighborhood patrols.”
“In an emergency, every second counts,” he added.
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