To the editor:
I’m speaking on behalf of Butch Bliss, one of Salem’s largest companies that designs and manufactures heavy machinery that is shipped all over the world and generates significant tax revenue for our city.
As a Salem native and company owner, I strongly support the upcoming ballot measure to fund the building of a new school in Salem, to attract the workforce we rely on in our community. I believe the passage of this tax is necessary to attract the much needed workforce, equip our teachers with space and technology to better educate our children, and I believe it will provide a great boost to our local economy now and as our children mature. Tomorrow’s educated workforce
At Boutique Bliss we are looking for highly educated and trained staff to find and convince them to come to our city. We have successfully recruited individuals from across the country and around the world. I observed with my own eyes that almost all of them considered where to raise their children and chose other communities besides Salem, citing the education system as a major factor in their decision.
Salem has the oldest school buildings of all the neighboring districts and is the only district that has not built a new school in the last 25 years. Salem City Schools’ newest building, Southeast Elementary, was built 50 years ago in 1967, and our largest building, Riley, will be 100 years old in five years. What are these families’ perceptions of Salem’s value for education compared to neighboring districts that have built new schools? Employees who live outside of Salem don’t just take their lunch home every night; They take their family’s choice of restaurants, exchange dollars, and municipal income tax. When they return to their hometowns, it is there that they serve as coaches, youth leaders, school helpers and civic volunteers.
Failure to show the community that we respect the condition and quality of our schools, especially when we have a great opportunity to do so, sends a clear message to residents that we are moving away from valuing and investing in our children’s education. in the future.
By passing a levy, we demonstrate our commitment to education and the future of our children and make our city more attractive to families looking for a great place to live and raise their children. This will help us recruit and retain the highly skilled workforce we need to grow our business and strengthen our local economy.
I understand that with the current high rate of inflation, everything from water bills, gas, and groceries are going up, it’s hard to vote for more taxes, but Salem’s taxes will still be less than 2/3rds of nearby communities. The largest and most modern school in the area. A new school would replace the $1.9 million that is now sent from our district to our children who open in other new schools each year, and should instead follow students from other communities who are attracted to enroll in Salem. In closing, I strongly urge all voters to support the upcoming ballot measure to approve a levy to build a new school. Together, we can invest in our children’s education and create a brighter, more prosperous future for our communities.
Jock Butta,
Executive Vice President,
butch joy,
Salem