Ordinance up for vote regarding Baker County Event Center project
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — Voters in Baker County will be seeing a measure on the ballot this fall regarding the voice that citizens would get in deciding the future of an event center project on county property. Chief Petitioner Sharon Bass successfully gathered enough signatures to include Ballot Measure 1-134 to appear on the November 4th, 2025 ballot. If passed, the measure would create the Baker County Events Center Construction Ordinance, which would preserve the right of citizens to have a voice and vote on multimillion-dollar event center construction projects in Baker County.
According to information from Baker County Clerk Stefanie Kirby, a vote would be triggered if the project exceeds one million dollars in total construction cost, and if any of the following apply: (i) the project requires an increase in taxes, (ii) the project may require Baker County to hire additional employees, or (iii) for projects that may condemn existing residential homes or farmlands through eminent domain.
Baker County secured a parcel of land northwest of the high school in Baker City, and the idea of a multimillion-dollar event center to be built on the parcel has been tossed around for a while now. If Measure 1-134 passes, the citizens will have a say in whether the project will go forward.
526 signatures were required on the petition for the ballot measure, and Chief Petitioner Bass managed to gather 797 that were accepted.
