News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The City of Sisters withdrew an offer to sell the Sisters Library property to the Deschutes County Public Library District last week.
The city pulled the $177,000 offer off the table because the library district refused to pay some $20,000 in back rent.
The library maintains that the city has no right to charge rent under the terms of the original state grant that funded construction of the library.
The library proposed putting the rent question to binding arbitration, but the city declined. Alternatively, the library proposed to pay interest on the $177,0000 back to April 11, 2001, when the city first proposed the transaction. The city did not take up that offer.
City officials argue that city residents are being "double-dipped," paying taxes to the library district and subsidizing the maintenance of the library through their city taxes.
In a letter to the library district attorney, city attorney Steve Bryant stated that, "there is nothing in the grant award to the city that precludes the city from charging rent for the library. In fact, such payments are necessary to offset the city's current and future costs for maintaining and repairing the facility.
"The residents of Sisters have subsidized the library's operation for years. It is not appropriate or fair for the residents to continue such subsidy."
Library director Michael Gaston said that the district cannot move forward with plans for a Sisters Library expansion -- either at the current site or somewhere else in town -- until this impasse is resolved.
Gaston said that the library board cannot acquiesce on the rent because they have been given legal advice that the rent is an illegal charge.
If the wrangling with the city can't be resolved, Gaston said, the library district may set aside expansion plans and move on to other priorities.
"I'm hoping we can get past this impasse or I guess eventually we say, 'this library is good enough for Sisters,'" Gaston said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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