News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters voters turned down a request for a local option tax levy from SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) by a wide margin in the May 17 election.
Some 1,342 voters said “no” to the proposed 35 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation property tax levy while 939 voted in favor. The ratio of defeat was 57 percent to 40 percent.
“It was crushing,” said SOAR board member Bonnie Malone. “It was quite shocking.”
Postmortems are always tricky and neither Malone nor SOAR campaign co-chairman Mike Gould could offer a definitive analysis of their defeat at the polls.
Both agreed that voters are likely telling them that they are done boosting their own tax bill.
“There’s no relief in sight,” Malone said. “I think people are just at the overload point. It’s too bad that SOAR had to pay the price.”
That price, according to Malone, will likely be raised fees for programs such as SOAR’s Clubhouse and pre- and post-school programs. Programs such as wilderness campouts, which Malone says require scholarships for many participants, may be cut back unless fund-raising is ramped up.
“Bottom line, our goal has always been never to turn a kid away for lack of funds,” she said. “That may not be able to be true anymore.”
The SOAR board decided to seek a tax levy after realizing that some $85,000 in Community Learning Center grants would no longer be available due to federal cutbacks. In addition, grants to start programs are no longer available to sustain those programs. SOAR faces a gap of some $120,000 in its funding in a budget of about $640,000.
But voters sent a clear message that Sisters’ taxpayers won’t pick up the tab.
Both Malone and Gould believe that may be because the campaign did not succeed in convincing voters that SOAR is a vital service to the community.
“I’m not discouraged,” Gould said. “I think 40 percent of the voters said they understand enough about SOAR to be supportive. I think our job is to make people understand ... what SOAR has to offer.”
It’s not clear what SOAR will do next, though Malone indicated that the organization will almost certainly take another shot at the polls.
“Oh, sure we will,” she said. “We’ll be back again in November, I’m sure. We don’t really have much choice.”
She acknowledged it would be difficult to go back to voters with the same proposal they rejected so firmly in this election, but she said, “we didn’t start with a number that was excessive.”
Gould, who serves on SOAR’s foundation board, was more cautious.
“I do think when 60 percent of the people vote no, you’d better take a good look at what you propose,” he said.
“My sense is that there probably needs to be an adjustment.”
No official decision is expected until sometime after the board and campaigners meet on May 31.
“It’s too soon to tell until that group gets together,” Gould said.
The election revealed philosophical differences on the board, with treasurer Ben Ehrenstrom dissenting from the levy request. Gould said “that group of five people needs to find a way to get back together again.”
He said, “I hope that the SOAR board finds a way to heal their differences and move forward for the benefit of the community.
SOAR will, indeed, move forward — with a significant change. Former Bend Parks & Recreation District director Carrie Ward has signed on as the organization’s director, taking over from the retiring Tom Coffield, who led SOAR for a decade.
The future of SOAR will take shape on her watch — for the time being at least, without any extra taxpayer support.
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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