This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

           Are you ready to approve over one hundred million in bonds come November?

           Well if all the bond issues currently being considered make the November ballot they will total well over a hundred million dollars.

The City school system is considering a 47 million bond issue to build a new Klamath Union High School somewhere plus other improvements to other schools.

The County School system  is considering  an 80 million bond issue to cover a number of items including a new Henley Elementary School.

In addition the City of Klamath Falls is considering a 20 million dollar bond issue to construct new quarters for the police department and the 911 operation.

In addition they may also be asking voters to renew a five year levy for parks and cemeteries that would produce about $300,000 per year.

Also you may have to cast your ballot on a two cent increase of the current hotel motel tax.  That would produce some $330,000 per year with 30 percent going to fund the museums of the area, thus taking them out of the regular county budget…..35 percent or roughly 115,000 going to the current tourism  and another 115,000 being left for the Board of Commissioners to spend on various tourism projects.

Roughly that amounts to somewhere around 150 million dollars that voters will have to consider come November if they all make the ballot.

Has the economy of the area improved to the extent that these measures can be approved?  That’s a good question and one that voters will have to answer when they vote.

It seems to me that before these issues are cast in stone….those proposing them must consider carefully the status of the people  and their incomes.

It’s true that we seem to have a great deal of new homes proposed and certainly areas like the Running Y find new homes being built constantly,

the big question is how about the incomes of the people who live here.

           My suggestion would be that the groups proposing these bond issues take a careful look at not necessarily what they term the “need”, but rather what can we really do to repair what we have rather than just junk what we have and build new.

Obviously in the case of both city and county school systems, adequate and needed repairs have been neglected over the years.  A reasonable amount of annual maintenance is absolutely necessary…..and what is the least it will take to start that practice should be the question.

The city’s park and cemetery bond levy is expiring and renewal will not add to the tax total.

As to the police 911 levy…..there’s no question but what the police have survived in their present structure for many years, but is this the time for a 20 million dollar new construction effort.

We’re not suggesting that these bond issues should be defeated, but rather they should be very carefully evaluated and then the public is going to have to be really sold on the issues before they vote come November.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE