Because of an Oregon law that caps property taxes, the approval of a levy to fund Madras’ public pool would mean less revenue for the Jefferson County Jail and other local taxing entities.

Madras area voters will decide in November on a five-year levy for additional operating funds for the Madras Aquatic Center.

Aquatic center supporters say the levy is an investment in the community, and is critical to keeping the pool open year-round and funding athletic leagues.

Opponents say the pool is a luxury, and additional funding for the aquatic center shouldn’t come at the expense of the jail.

Any new tax levy on Jefferson County’s books would result in less revenue for existing tax levies and districts due to a process called compression, said county Assessor Jean McCloskey.

Property taxes are limited to $10 per $1,000 in real market value for local government and $5 per $1,000 for schools. To stay within those limits, tax rates are proportionally reduced.

Revenue is cut for levies first, then, if needed, for taxing districts.

Last year 30 percent of the properties in Jefferson County were in compression, including 78 percent of those in Madras, McCloskey said. The aquatic center’s taxing district is the same as the Jefferson County School District, encompassing Madras and the town’s outlying areas, where properties are more likely to be in compression, she said.

Sheriff Jim Adkins said he opposes the pool levy because it would increase compression and reduce revenue for a jail levy. Depending on how much revenue the jail levy loses, he would have to cut staff and reduce jail capacity, he said.

“I think having the pool is spectacular for the community, but is it a necessity? No, I don’t think it is,” he said. “Putting people in jail when they do something wrong is a necessity.”

Last year, seven tax levies in the county lost out on revenue due to compression, McCloskey said. The jail levy brought in $1.2 million, about $215,000 less than expected due to compression, she said.

McCloskey said she did not know how much revenue from the jail levy would be reduced if the pool levy passes, because compression would have to be figured for each individual property.

“I have no crystal ball to look into,” she said.

The aquatic center has Madras’ only public pools and serves as the town’s recreation department, organizing youth and adult sports leagues. Without the levy, the aquatic center would have to close down for several months a year, Manager Bobby DeRoest has said.

In 2004, voters approved a permanent levy of 25 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value to build and operate the aquatic center. November’s levy would tack on 40 cents per $1,000.

The levy is needed to fund repairs at the aquatic center and to maintain athletic leagues, said Lonnie Henderson, co-chair of the Back the MAC political action committee. Adult softball, youth soccer and other leagues are currently funded by a declining grant.

While the jail levy is a concern for some, funding the pool and sports leagues is important to keep kids involved, said Henderson, whose son competes in water polo and swimming at the aquatic center.

“We want to keep them out of jail by keeping them involved,” he said.

The pools and sports leagues, Henderson added, are also critical to promoting healthier lifestyles. Jefferson County was the least healthy of 33 Oregon counties ranked in the 2012 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey.