Proposed Measure 14-86 FAQ

If passed, the measure would authorize a new property tax. Property owners would pay $0.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Assessed value is different, and typically lower, than market value. The owner of a home assessed at $271,302, the median home value in Hood River, would pay approximately $7.69 a month or $92.28 per year. The tax would raise $8.7 million over a 20 year period. Look up an individualized estimate for your home on the City of Hood River Bond Cost Estimator

The proposed police station renovation would cost approximately 8.7 million. However, if the measure passes, the City wold not be obligated to borrow the full $8.7 million amount and the City would work to secure state grants for seismic improvements. Actual borrowing, and the resulting tax rate, can be reduced if outside grants are secured.

The two bonds are identical in size but have different property tax rates because the Housing Bonds may need to be issued on a taxable, rather than tax-exempt, basis. This is because housing projects would likely be combined with private capital and are not considered public infrastructure which qualifies for tax-exempt municipal borrowing. Portland and Metro’s Housing Bonds were similarly issued on a taxable basis. Additional information on tax-exempt bond issuances is available HERE.

November 2026. Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a dropbox by 8pm, November 3, 2026. The location of dropboxes can be found here.

Taxes would not increase and the police station would not be renovated or expanded.

The City has been working over the last six years to design updates to the police station. The proposed renovation would upgrade the Police Department’s current operating conditions. The space could also be repurposed for City Hall expansion in the future if the department eventually moves to a dedicated facility.

Measure 14-86, if passed, would fund additions like secure/private space for interviews, seismic stability, and security systems to protect officers and visitors. Upgrades would be designed to support the work of police officers, including:

• Technology enabled systems, such as evidence storage lockers that maintain chain of custody without time-consuming manual processing, increasing officers’ availability to answer calls for service.
• Secure interview rooms with audio/video recording equipment to assist prosecutions with high-quality evidence.
• Modern public safety seismic standards for disaster resilience.
• Professional office spaces.
• Basic functionalities like changing facilities, meeting rooms, and a sufficient number of restrooms for staff and the public.

“Lot 1” in the Hood River Waterfront area is owned by the Port of Hood River. The Port has been actively planning for the development of Lot 1 since at least 2012. If Lot 1 were available, the Hood River Waterfront is still not an appropriate location for a public safety building. The only vehicular entrance and exit to the area is via the 2nd Street overpass. If this overpass failed during an earthquake or otherwise became impassable due to fleeing traffic during an emergency, police vehicles will not be able to cross quickly.

The shared Hood River County / City of Hood River Public Works yard was studied as one of seven possible locations in 2019. The City only controls about 25% of the Public Works Yard, with Hood River County occupying the majority. Finding a suitable replacement location and coordinating the move between the City and County will leave the police operations in sub-standard offices for an indefinite period of time and add many millions in property acquisition, building, and property remediation costs to the project.

The City of Hood River has studied several options for police facility improvements since 2019. A standalone new facility would cost several million more dollars and require land acquisition. The proposed renovation would upgrade the Police Department’s current operating conditions. The space could also be repurposed for City Hall expansion in the future when the department eventually moves to a dedicated facility.

The Sheriff’s 5-year levy approved by Hood River County voters is dedicated solely to the Hood River County Sheriff for operations. None of these funds go to the Hood River City Police and cannot be used to fund the renovation of the City Police Station.