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Sheriff promises to continue Sisters patrols
By Jim Cornelius

Commissioners Tom DeWolf, Dennis Luke and Mike Daly joined Sheriff Les Stiles (center) in urging voter turnout.

Residents of Sisters will continue to see Deschutes County Sheriff's Deputies patrolling city streets, even if voters don't turn out to support the sheriff's operating levy in the May 15 election.

Sheriff Les Stiles said at a Friday, April 27, press conference that he will "absolutely not" cancel the city's contract for police services if the levy fails. The City of Sisters pays the sheriff's office about $250,000 a year for 120 hours per week of patrol.

The sheriff's office can't afford to lose those funds in the face of major layoffs.

"It's simple business," Stiles said. "We break the contract, we lay off more people."

Stiles estimates that some 65 percent of sheriff's personnel -- perhaps 100 to 130 people -- would be laid off if the levy does not pass. A March levy measure failed due to lack of voter turnout; this election requires the same 50 percent turnout to be valid.

Deschutes County could backfill a small protion of the $8 million loss to the sheriff's office, but any infusion of cash would come at the expense of other county programs.

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County commissioner Tom DeWolf noted that parole and probation, the health department, juvenile justice, the district attorney's office all could take hits if the county is forced to shore up the sheriff's budget.

"Everything is connected to everything else in this organization," DeWolf said.

In addition, county administrator Mike Maier noted, the county will be liable for unemployment insurance, which would be a huge burden.

"The system's not in a position to handle 100-130 employees being laid off," Maier said.

The sheriff and the commissioners noted that the voters clearly support the sheriff's levy. More than 70 percent of those who voted in March voted "yes." County officials are focused now on turning out the vote.

"This is a real simple fix," said Dewolf.

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"All we need to do is get out and vote."

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