News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
There wasn't much suspense involved in the Sisters School Board's decision to seek a local option tax on the November 2008 General Election ballot. No one involved with Sisters schools think the district can do without it.
The board agreed at their July 1 meeting to go to voters next November.
While local option was originally conceived as a modest infusion of cash to assist the district in purchasing books and educational materials, over the past eight years the district has grown to rely upon the approximately $1 million per year local option taxes infuse into the district's budget to keep the schools operating. Local option represents about 10 percent of the district's budget.
Voters have passed local option by wide margins in 2000 and 2004 and the current school board is hopeful that, despite a tough economy, voters will do so again this November.
The rate of the tax will remain where it has been for the past eight years: 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. The owner of a $300,000 home would continue to pay $225 a year in additional taxes for schools. The term of the local option tax will also stay the same: four years.
"The community has been pretty clear over the last eight years what they will tolerate," said board member Mike Gould, explaining why the district decided to maintain the same rate.
There was consensus on the board that maintaining the rate is the right decision, despite the fact that the district is in tight budget conditions because of stagnant enrollment.
"I feel very strongly that we shouldn't raise the local option tax, though it is tempting," said board member Glen Lasken.
By going to the polls in November, the district avoids the double-majority turnout requirement for a money measure vote to be valid. It also gives the district ample time to plan for the proper allocation of the funds in the 2009-2010 school year, an aspect that was important to board member Jeff Smith.
"From my perspective, these are all the right choices," Smith said.
A political action committee (PAC) must be formed to place the measure on the ballot and the PAC, not the school board, will lead the campaign.
Gould said there were several people interested in leading the PAC and others interested on serving on the committee.
"The train is moving down the track in very good fashion," 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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