By Kat and Robin Tabor
Ballots for the May 20 special district election are now arriving in mailboxes across Lane County, launching a wide-ranging vote that spans more than 200 contests. Voters will decide on key leadership roles across school boards, education service districts, fire districts, water commissions and more.
The Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet has also been released, and town hall meetings have been held across the state in the lead-up to the election. On April 23, U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, former Rep. Peter DeFazio and Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, visited Lane Community College to discuss recent changes to Social Security and voter activism. On February 2, Rep. Jeff Merkley visited South Eugene High School to address political activity in Washington, D.C., and the importance of community engagement in politics. Both representatives emphasized the importance of participating in the election process, highlighting the decrease in voter turnout in the most recent elections.
Among the most closely watched races are four open seats on the Lane Community College Board of Education. The Torch has published detailed profiles of each LCC board candidate, available at lcctorch.com under the “Candidate Profiles for the 2025 LCC Board of Education Election” tab.
LCC Board of Education – Candidates on the Ballot:
Zone 1: Jerry Rust, Jeffrey Cooper
Zone 3: Julie Weismann, Devon Lawson
Zone 4: Austin Fölnagy, Richard Andrew Vasquez
Position 7 At-Large (2-year term): Jesse Alejandro Maldonado (unopposed)
Additional school board elections will take place in districts across the county, including Eugene 4J, Bethel, Springfield, Fern Ridge, Junction City and others. Because these are district-based races, voters will only see contests for the districts in which they reside.
Several fire and school districts are asking voters to approve funding measures, including:
Measure 20-370 (Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District): Would renew a five-year local option levy to sustain staffing and educational programming.
Measure 20-368 (Junction City School District): A $40 million bond to enhance school safety and expand facilities, with a $6 million state match if passed.
Measure 21-232 (Lincoln County School District): A $73.3 million bond proposal to upgrade infrastructure and expand vocational education.
Measure 20-367 (Lowell RFPD): Would enact a five-year operational levy to support emergency staffing and equipment.
Measure 20-369 (Santa Clara RFPD): Seeks to renew a local option tax for general fire district operations.
These measures come at a time when the recently introduced fire service fee has sparked community concern. Residents have voiced concerns over possible reductions in hours, layoffs and even closures at essential public services like the Sheldon Recreation Center, Amazon Pool and the Eugene Public Library.
As the situation unfolds, The Torch will continue reporting on the fire fee’s local impact. Community members with tips, stories, or perspectives can email torcheditor@lanecc.edu. Letters to the editor and guest viewpoints are also welcome.
To read the complete Lane County Voters’ Guide and check which races and measures will appear on your ballot, visit lanecounty.org/elections. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. Postmarks do not count. For drop box locations, visit oregonvotes.gov.
Please note that Robin Tabor is The Torch’s ad sales manager and is not a regular writer. On occasion, he contributes art, writing, or photography, but these contributions are separate from his advertising role. If you’re interested in placing an ad—unrelated to his creative work—please visit LCCtorch.com/AdvertiseWithUs.
