News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sheriff Les Stiles knows he has a big campaign ahead of him to convince Deschutes County voters to create two new tax districts to permanently fund the sheriff’s office.
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved a permanent tax district proposal earlier this month.
“What I’m extremely gratified about is that we’re there,” Stiles said. “This has been 4-1/2 years of work.”
Under the proposal, which could go to voters in May 2006, District 1 would cover the entire county and be assessed at a maximum rate of $1.25 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. District 2 would exclude several cities including Sisters and Black Butte Ranch, which either have police services of their own or a separate contract with the sheriff’s office. District 2 would be assessed at a maximum rate of $1.55 per $1,000. The total maximum paid by a rural resident would be $2.80 per $1,000.
The sheriff’s office has been operating for decades on a system of three-year serial levies. Urban residents currently pay 82 cents per $1,000; rural residents pay $1.60 per $1,000.
Stiles believes the biggest challenge for supporters of the tax district will be to get the word out that the rates that will be voted on in May are maximum rates calculated to cover the needs of the sheriff’s office over the next 20 years.
“That makes me real nervous,” he said. However, he added, “I’m optimistic that we have enough time to get the information out to the voters.”
Stiles said he doesn’t expect that the rates would hit their maximum until 2013 — and then only if voters approve an expansion of the Deschutes County Jail.
The sheriff considers permanent funding critical to the future of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Stiles, the sheriff’s office has been unable to budget for new “full-time equivalent” positions or hire a technical staff to adequately research electronic and communications equipment upgrades. And he is concerned about the “ripple down effect” of leaving positions unfilled.
The sheriff notes that Bend Police have had staffing ratio problems — too few officers to cover a growing load of calls, which makes it hard to solve crimes or serve citizens.
“I don’t want us in that boat,” he said.
The unpredictability of funding has made it difficult to retain deputies who are worried about job security. Training replacements is costly, in the neighborhood of $100,000.
But for Stiles the most significant benefit of permanent funding will be the ability to develop and implement a strategic plan that covers staffing, equipment and the development of programs. That requires predictability.
“It’s not good business to get halfway through and then realize, ‘whoops, we don’t have any more money,’” he 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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