YAMHILL COUNTY, Ore. — Newberg-Dundee residents will soon receive ballots as the May 19 special election approaches. Two county commissioner seats are contested, and the Newberg-Dundee Public Schools 5 Year Levy will go before voters.
Ballots are mailed to out-of-state voters beginning April 20 and to in-state voters beginning April 29. Ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on May 19 to be counted. Voters can check their registration status and track their ballot by entering their name and date of birth in Oregon’s My Vote system.
All candidate information was furnished by the Yamhill County Voters’ Pamphlet and candidate websites.
Yamhill County Commissioner
Two seats are contested to join David “Bubba” King on the three-member Yamhill County Board of Commissioners. County commissioners serve four-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms. Learn more at the board’s website.
Position 1
Incumbent Kit Johnston and challenger John Linder are competing for the Position 1 seat.
Johnston, a fifth-generation Yamhill County farmer and small business owner from Dayton, currently serves as commissioner. He cites no new taxes and preserving farmland and property rights as central themes, and points to a county tax rate unchanged since 1998.
Linder, a financial analyst and CPA from McMinnville, is a managing member of Accelerate Capital LLC and served five years on the McMinnville School District Budget Committee. He is running on a platform of fiscal accountability, strengthening health and human services, and pursuing state and federal grants.
Position 3
Three candidates are running for the open Position 3 seat vacated by Commissioner Mary Starrett: Neyssa Hays, David S. Wall, and Jason Fields.
Hays, a Yamhill County native, co-founded Outdoor Education Adventures and currently chairs the Yamhill County Parks Advisory Board. She is running on a platform of restoring fiscal accountability, protecting essential services and public assets, and rebuilding cooperation with cities and regional partners.
Wall, who lists his occupation as not employed, previously retired from the City of San Jose, California, and holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from San Jose State University. He does not have a campaign website. According to his voters’ pamphlet statement and candidate filing, Wall’s platform includes lower property taxes, opposing a gas tax referendum, protecting farmland and forestlands, and restructuring permit and system development charges to reduce construction costs.
Fields, a small business owner from McMinnville who founded Rare Air MFG, has served on the Yamhill County Budget Committee for five years and on the Chehalem Parks and Recreation District board. He has centered his campaign on opposing new taxes, protecting property rights, and proposing a county-owned amphitheater tied to a fairgrounds relocation as an alternative revenue source.
Yamhill County Commissioner Election Forum
Area organizations are bringing the candidates together on April 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. for a candidate forum where residents can hear from the candidates and ask questions. The forum is free and will be held at the Chehalem Cultural Center ballroom. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Measure 36-239: Newberg-Dundee Schools Levy
Newberg-Dundee Public Schools District 29J has referred a five-year local option levy to voters. If approved, the levy would impose a rate not to exceed $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in the 2026-27 school year and running through 2030-31, generating an estimated $6.1 million in its first year and approximately $32.5 million over five years.
The district projects a $4.5 million funding shortfall for 2026-27, citing costs of restoring a full school year, inflation, flat state funding, and depleted reserves following a 2023-24 financial hardship. The district has already cut 76.75 full-time equivalent positions.
Without the levy, district officials project potential closure of neighborhood schools, elimination of 25 full-time teaching positions, elimination of 10 full-time non-teaching positions, and the loss of five school days. According to the ballot measure summary, levy funds would not cover administrative costs, building repairs, or maintenance.
A homeowner within the district with a mean assessed value of $330,000 would pay approximately $396 per year if the levy passes.
Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on May 19. Drop boxes are available at Newberg Public Safety, 401 E. 3rd St.; Jaquith Park West, 1215 N. Main St.; and PCC Newberg Center, 135 Werth Blvd.
