Local option cracks double majority

Enough voters in Sisters Country have returned ballots on Measure 9-88 to make the March 12 election valid.

As of Tuesday, returns stood at 58.2 percent, pushing the measure over the "double majority" requirement. In some elections in Oregon, tax measures must not only win a majority of votes, but must pass a threshold of 50 percent of registered voters casting a ballot.

The levy would provide the Sisters School District (SSD) with a continuation of the local option taxes at the rate of 75 cents per $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

This year, the local option provided the district with $991,351.35 to supplement its $10,501,384.00 budget, or 9.4 percent of the district's annual budget.

This year's campaign in favor of local option has been well-organized and assertive, in part because the stakes are high. After cutting millions out of its budget due to recessionary cutbacks in state funding, the district is running on limited resources.

In the face of unpredictable funding from the State of Oregon, local option has allowed the district to preserve school days, retain staff, maintain small class sizes, and offer a well-rounded academic program including honors and remedial offerings in core subjects: mathematics, reading, and writing.

The campaign has prided itself on being non-partisan and community-oriented.

"At a time when divisiveness still crowds out common-sense decision-making at the federal level, the citizens of Sisters are keeping politics out of the conversation and are voting for what's best for Sisters," said Kay Grady, school board member and local organizer for the promotion of the local option.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
• Phone: 5415499941