Jonathan Bach

Statesman Journal

Notice something familiar on that ballot in the mail?

Renewed requests for a multimillion-dollar Salem Police Department facility have flooded mailboxes, though Salem residents will remember voters rejected a similar $82 million measure last November. The déjà vu comes as capital city voters this month get yet another say on whether to fund a new police facility.

This second-shot effort has brought out more campaign money than a failed 2016 push, a new cast of campaigners and renewed hopes of a decisive victory at the ballot box. It's also brought opponents who worry about seismic retrofitting for city facilities in case of a major earthquake, arguing retrofits and the police facility should have gone on the same ballot measure and city officials could have cut costs further.

Bond measure supporters and opponents have long concurred Salem officers need a new facility. Their current headquarters — built in 1972 — are cramped and overcrowded, offering crime victims little privacy when discussing what's happened to them, which Police Chief Jerry Moore has outlined.

If voters approve the measure, part of the money would go toward acquiring the old O'Brien Auto Group lot for the police facility, according to the Marion County voter pamphlet. But even as proponents have spent almost $70,000 on media and political consulting this campaign, a sure "Yes" or "No" vote still remains uncertain.

Here's what to know before you vote on Measure 24-420:

1. The new facility reduces voter costs by roughly $20 million

City councilors in the lead-up to the May 16 election whittled down costs for a new facility by $20.2 million. Instead of asking voters for $82 million for a new police facility, the May ballot measure will make a $61.8 million request.

That means a proposed 9-1-1 center got nixed from plans. It also means seismic retrofitting for City Hall and the Salem Public Library didn't make it into the police facility ballot measure as some hoped they would.

If the bond measure passes, construction for the police facility would start in 2018 or 2019, according to the city of Salem, with engineering and design work commencing right away. The city says on its website a new facility is forecasted to fulfill community needs "for decades to come."

2. You can see how much the new facility could cost you personally

The city of Salem launched a tool to show residents an estimate of how much the facility would cost them. Passage of the ballot measure would mean a spike of an expected 26 cents for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. Check out your potential costs here: https://goo.gl/9NeIkq

Money that remains after the police facility "and related bond costs" would go toward improving City Hall, which would include renovating spaces the police department would leave after its moves to its new home, the city says in the Marion County voter pamphlet.

3. The ads are out in force

Turn on the television and you'll probably see ads running on the Salem police facility. The City of Salem pitched in for informational spots to run on television.

City Hall "set aside $50,000 (for the ad buy) as part of a public information campaign," city spokesman Kenny Larson said. "We wanted to make sure that folks had the proper information for the campaign."

The roughly 30-second ads are running on cable television and lay out conditions for Salem police officers: Police Chief Moore narrates the ads and carefully doesn't campaign for or against the ballot measure. There's also an extended version of the informational online.

"We've run everything through the state elections division," Larson said.

You can also find pretty much the same ads on the Salem Police Department's YouTube page. They're called "informational shorts." Here's the link: https://goo.gl/jHhXny

Another ad from the Friends of Salem Police campaign has been produced to air on television, urging a "Yes" vote after outlining conditions officers face at their current station. The campaign and informational ads share similar footage.

Send questions, comments or news tips to jbach @statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6714. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanMBach.