Stephen Frank(Photo: Special to the Stayton Mail)

the Annexations, like natural disasters, place extra burdens on community systems. Like natural disasters annexations raise the costs of maintaining, increasing and extending services for public health and safety, schools, water/sewer, streets, trash removal and much more.

It is true Senate Bill 1573 provides an alternate method for adopting annexations. But that method costs the city is dismissive of the statutes and eliminates the vote, he annexations in Stayton and 31 other communities where voting is allowed. That’s why the League of Oregon Cities and the cities of Philomath and Corvallis have asked the court to decide whether SB 1573 is constitutional.

Fortunately, SB 1573 doesnt affect referendums so citizens can petition as always and put annexations on the ballot. But there is a difference between having the citizens gear up and fund their campaigns and having cities automatically put annexations on the ballot. That’s one reason why both Philomath and Corvallis are honoring their charters and allowing their citizens to exercise their right to vote.

But regardless of what SB 1573 says, our constitution says only Oregonians decide what rights and responsibilities they want to vote into their city charters and live by. Our constitution effectively bars the legislature from interfering in city charters.

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Section 2. Formation of corporations; municipal charters; intoxicating liquor regulation. …The Legislative Assembly shall not enact, amend or repeal any charter or act of incorporation for any municipality, city or town. The legal voters of every city and town are hereby granted power to enact and amend their municipal Charter, …" Oregon State Constitution.

The Stayton City budget is already at capacity; expenditure appear to match income. ("Overall, revenue for fiscal year 2017 is budgeted to increase $ 378,800, 11.1%. Budgeted expenditure total $ 4,014,700, an increase of $ 443,492, 12.4%. City of Stayton Annual Budget p 23.)

How will the Kindle change annexation that balanced budget? What are the anticipated costs for services to the annexation Kindle? Will the city have to go into debt to cover those costs?

I have studied both Stayton and the code applicant”s statement, both ignore community concerns about whether the annexation is necessary; how the costs of extending and maintaining services to the annexation are shared by the applicant and the community; how the costs will be met for additional classrooms and extensions of all community services.

to Count classrooms; research in Austin, Texas (2014) reported facility costs required for each new student were: $ 24,470 for elementary schools; $ 25,495 for middle schools; $ 47 500 people for high schools.

When bonds are required to fund the costs of increasing capacity, all local property owners must pay but the new development will pay a small fraction of the costs.

Given the extreme impacts of the Kindle annexation and the lack of information about it, Council should encourage all the citizens to consider all the impacts and vote.

Steve Frank Stayton of Stayton served as a City Council from 2007 through 2011. He can be reached at sfrank000@gmail.com.

Canyon Views

Have a topic, issue or viewpoint pertinent to the Santiam Canyon you would like to share? The Stayton Mail welcomes letters to the editor to 250 words, or submissions to the Canyon Views section, from 600 to 750 words, on topics of broader interest.

Contact Justin Much at or 503-769-6338 jmuch@salem.gannett.com.

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