On March 14th, we taxpayers of Stayton, will make one of the most important decisions for our community. Can we afford to annex another 7 acres of land into our city? Do we need to annex these acres of land and have 23 homes, priced at $350,000, built there? How much will it cost taxpayers to provide 7 acres with city services?

If these 7 acres are annexed, we taxpayers will become "silent partners" in a project that can cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. It doesn’t matter if the houses sell. Once the land is annexed, the law requires us to pay perpetual costs of building and maintaining streets, water lines and sewer systems as well as police and fire services.

More houses often result in more students, more traffic and a need for more city funds. There are plenty of houses on the market and more being built.

Local and national studies conclude each new house can cost us taxpayers $30-$40,000!

Stayton has many needs. Our schools are overcrowded. Our streets need repair. Our downtown needs revitalization. These are examples of problems our city should focus on. We’re sure there are additional ones that you taxpayers want addressed.

We at Save Our Stayton are pro-community. We care enough about the future of our community to fight and protect it. Our community’s future requires balance between economic and population growth. Stability is important. We have the right and responsibility to consider all issues about the future of Stayton.

Please consider this proposed annexation’s impact when you vote on the referendum. The time is not right for this annexation. The need is not there. The cost is too great.

Let us work together to make Stayton BETTER

before we get bigger.

Vote NO on #24-154

The Board and Members of Save Our Stayton

(Join others in town who care about its future. Please consider working with Save Our Stayton)

E-mail us at Sfrank6@juno.com

Submitted by Steven H. Frank, Save Our Stayton