Voting always matters, but it sure matters more in off-year elections in your local community.

Ballots were due Nov. 7 for voters in the Redmond and Crooked River Ranch fire districts as each district asked for taxpayer support to add staff in order to keep pace with growth. When the first first wave of ballot results came out just minutes after polls closed, 37 voters were the difference between the Redmond levy passing and failing.

Later Tuesday night, a second batch of votes put the levy on safer footing — but footing that is not yet 100 percent secure. As of Saturday, the levy looked in line to pass with a 150-vote cushion.

The Crooked River Ranch levy is in even better shape. Currently, those in favor of the measure outnumber those opposed 956 to 703. Read Tuesday’s edition of the paper, which will have check-ins with both fire districts about how they feel about the election results and what they may mean for the future of their departments. Final results are not expected until early December, however, so the Redmond crews seem careful about counting their chickens before they hatch.

Redmond city council met on election night and discussed one way to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city. The city is now thinking about a development fee, similar to what is done in Bend and other fast-growing Oregon municipalities. 

There’s never a lack of housing news in Redmond. Check out a new development by RootedHomes and HousingWorks, to be built off Antler Ave just west of Dry Canyon. And here is an update on housing prices in Redmond, which continue to climb despite stubbornly high interest rates.

One of our most read stories from our last edition was on Redmond School District and the difficult position staff are in when it comes to students, technology and mental health. That seems to be a problematic triangle and parents and teachers are both struggling to articulate the right path forward.

Those are the kinds of stories we hope to keep writing at the Spokesman. To help us continue to dig into thorny local issues and add more local reporters, consider purchasing a subscription — either for digital access or home print delivery.

Go to redmondspokesman.com or stop by our office, next door to the Odem Theater on 6th St., and we’ll get you signed up at an affordable price. That continues to be the best way to support our work and stay informed about your community.

— Tim Trainor is editor of the Redmond Spokesman.