Created in 1998, the Sisters Park & Recreation District operates on an income of 22 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value and has done so from the beginning. It’s asking voters to approve a five-year, 15 cents per $1,000 local option levy to keep programs healthy and expand them.

The levy would cost the owner of an average ($276,000) home in the district $41.40 per year. The district’s governing board decided to ask for the levy after it became clear operating costs were at or near their maximum, even with additional funds from grants and fundraising activities.

The levy would add about $200,000 a year for five years. The district plans that more than a third would go to the district’s after-school programs, where money would be used to cut fees, offer scholarships, purchase supplies and expand offerings. Another 21 percent would go to youth and senior programs, and the balance would go to maintenance and operating costs. The district operates a community center, ballfields and bike and skate parks.

The district has served its patrons well in the past 20 years. This levy will help it serve them better, and it should be approved.