Civic Leadership Academy tells Sisters council time, not pay, is biggest barrier to service

The City of Sisters heard a 45‑minute Civic Leadership Academy presentation on June 10 about whether compensating councilors would reduce barriers to public service. Jaden Durchi, the group's presenter, said the academy framed its work around three questions: whether compensation reduces barriers, what unintended consequences might occur and what forms of compensation are possible. The cohort reported conducting 65 interviews with current and former councilors, staff, nonprofit leaders, business owners, renters and homeowners to shape its findings.

The academy members said their research repeatedly identified time and awareness as primary obstacles. "From our data, more than 40% of stakeholders interviewed identified time as their primary barrier to serve," David, one of the presenters, told the council. Indigo, another presenter, cautioned that "compensation does not create that civic interest, but it can remove a real barrier for folks to participate," and described a range of stipend levels other Oregon cities use and non‑cash options such as filing‑fee reimbursement, technology stipends and fixed utility credits. The presenters also gave a case study of Orange City, California, which removed compensation in 2011 and later reinstated it after seeing fewer, less diverse candidates.

Council members praised the report's clarity and suggested next steps such as additional outreach and scrutiny of policy design. Several councilors said they were heartened by the academy's emphasis on parallel pathways—leadership training and outreach alongside any compensation policy—and asked staff to return with cost and implementation options if council wants to pursue compensation further.