Local Option - our commitment to a strong Sisters community

Our national economy is in trouble. Locally, a weak real estate market, shrinking retirement savings and lost jobs all have made Sisters residents uneasy about the future and more cautious about spending. Why should we even consider the Local Option tax in such turbulent economic times?

Because quality education is a value that you cannot just opt in and out of based on economic cycles. Sisters has excellent schools because our community has held strong to our commitment to quality education, through good and hard times.

In 2000, the U.S. economy was slumping and we fell into a recession in 2001. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, exacerbated our economic problems. In Oregon, declining state revenues added further stress to a flawed school finance system.

How did Sisters react in those hard times? Sisters voters passed the Local Option tax, one of the first school districts in Oregon to do so. We chose to reclaim control from unpredictable state school funding and made a commitment to quality education for Sisters schools. We affirmed this promise in 2004 by renewing the Local Option.

We cannot control or even predict our nation's future, but locally, Sisters has control over the cornerstone of this community - our schools. We have built one of the best school districts in Oregon. Successful by any measure, our schools are strong through the hard work of teachers, staff, students, parents and the long-term support of the Sisters community through the Local Option tax.

It's time to renew the Local Option. While we face challenging economic times, it is critical we continue to support our schools, our kids and community. About 90 percent of Sisters' school funding comes from the state. The state has already projected a $500 million budget shortfall, raising the odds of declining state school funding in coming years. Local Option funding can help Sisters schools ride out this economic downturn and maintain the important school programs we have built. If this levy fails, our schools will face reduced state funding and have zero Local Option funds. The negative impact to our schools, our kids and community will be long lasting:

Once teachers are let go and programs cut, it will take a long time to restore them.

Lower quality schools will lead to further softening in housing demand and property values.

A good school's reputation, once lost, will be hard to earn back.

Most importantly, our kids lose the educational opportunities our schools are known for.

The Local Option tax is not a new tax. It is not an increase in your tax rate. It's a renewal of the same levy, at the same rate, that we've had for the last eight years. The tax is small: for the average Sisters home, assessed at $268,300, the Local Option amounts to about $200 per year, or about 55 cents per day.

Sisters is known as a community that values education, steps up to the plate when needs arise and sticks to its commitments. Through Local Option funding, we've made an investment in the things that matter to a quality education: smaller class sizes, better instruction materials, programs that go beyond the prerequisites and the technology to learn in a high tech world. Local Option helps our district provide a quality education for every student. As a result, Sisters students stay in school, are active in school and succeed in school.

Our commitment to good schools has made Sisters a strong community. Let's stand firm to the commitment we started eight years ago during challenging times - a long term investment in our schools, our kids and our community. Renew the Local Option by voting Yes on Measure 9-67.

Brian Witt is the chair of the Sisters Local Option Political Action Committee