Letters to the Editor 08/05/2009

To the Editor:

The Nugget and Bulletin report that Sisters can implement a local gas tax without voter approval.

These news organizations haven't done their homework or asked the right questions. I urge the council members to be cautious.

Consider this: The Oregon Constitution at Article I, Section 32: "No tax or duty shall be imposed without the consent of the people or their representatives in the Legislative Assembly..."

The city charter approved by the people has no words whatsoever granting the city authority to levy any tax without voter approval. There is no legislation resulting in law granting this authority and the city has not cited any such authority.

Therefore, it would be unconstitutional for Sisters to implement a local gas tax without voter approval. All council members should do their own research. They each took an oath of office and promised to uphold the Oregon Constitution; they should keep that promise.

Just because the charter has no specific language prohibiting the council from implementing a local tax doesn't mean they can. Some charters grant taxing authority to the governing council, but most do not. I don't believe the city council supports the creative interpretation of Oregon law; the gas tax should be tabled until it can be put to a vote of the people.

Mike Morgan

•••

To the Editor:

Maintaining our roads is not an option. It is an obligation we all must undertake; it is not the city's problem, it's our problem.

There seems to be three options - a gas tax, a maintenance fee, or the city continuing to transfer money from the general fund. 

Right now is not the time to charge anyone more money. Many residents have received pay cuts, or reduced hours and/or benefits. Many have lost their jobs, and Central Oregon has very high unemployment rates. People are leaving Sisters and the surrounding area. And don't forget about the older residents living on a fixed income.

Certainly a gas tax is a more equitable option. It spreads the cost out to a wider population and in the end will cost each of us less. If it were to come to a vote, I am sure most residents would favor paying $21 in additional gas taxes vs. $144 in assessed fees. 

But if we vote in favor of the gas tax we have an obligation to spend the additional money by continuing to purchase our gas locally. To those who say they will purchase their gas in Bend or Redmond I say "Where is your sense of community?" Everyone wants to come to the party, but no one wants to clean up.

The general fund can continue to absorb the impact like it has done in preceding years. The city is in better shape, relatively speaking, than many of the folks who live here. Currently the City of Sisters has about $1 million in reserve. When the economy recovers either the tax or the fee will be a more palatable option. 

In the interim the city can tighten its belt, and there is certainly room for that. Cancelling the purchase of an $80,000 emergency generator for City Hall is a start, and there are likely other places where enough trimming can be done. These are optional expenditures; road maintenance is not. The issue should be decided by a vote of the people, not by a rush judgment of the city council.

Ed Protas