PORT TOWNSEND — One month before Election Day, Jefferson County officials’ trumpeting of the merits of a 0.3 percent sales tax increase on the Nov. 2 ballot is in high gear.
“We are conducting an informational campaign,” said County Administrator Philip Morley.
“We are telling people that if they pass this measure it will save certain programs. If they do not, these programs will not get funded.”
Morley said that he “hopes that we don’t have to make those cuts,” but that’s the closest he will come to a statement of support.
He and other county staff members are prohibited from actually endorsing the measure.
In the 10 informational presentations Morley is making, five of which already have been held, attendees will never hear him say “vote for this.”
Instead he presents charts and graphs, lines and figures explaining the situation, how a projected $900,000 budget shortfall in 2011 will grow to $1.7 million in 2015.
The measure would raise the Jefferson County sales tax rate from the present 8.4 percent to 8.7 percent, or three cents for every $10 purchase.
Forty percent of the tax increase revenue, projected to be $1,062,000, would, by law, go to Port Townsend, which has agreed to use some of the money to help support Memorial Field and the Port Townsend Community Center.
The rest would go toward helping to fill the county’s projected $900,000 shortfall in 2011.
If approved, the new sales tax would take effect April 1.
Ballots in the all-mail election will be mailed Oct. 12.
Five more presentations are planned, with three set for Wednesday:
• Sunrise Rotary, 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Highway 20 Road House, 2152 West Sims Way;
• Kiwanis, 12 p.m. Wednesday, Manresa Castle, 651 Cleveland St.
• Conservation District board, 7 p.m. Wednesday, location to be announced.
• Chimacum Grange, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13, 9572 Rhody Dr.
• Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, noon Oct. 18, 555 Otto St.
During the presentations, Morley outlines services he says would be saved by passing the measure or lost with its defeat, such as a sheriff’s deputy position and the ability to keep three community centers operational.
He stresses that, even if the sales tax increase is approved, some program cuts will be necessary.
Attendance at the presentations has varied. The largest number so far — 60 — showed up at Thursday’s Tri-Area Rotary meeting. Just 10 attended the Port Townsend Community Center presentation that same evening.
While each presentation draws new faces, a core group of people attends every one.
Aside from Morley, the three county commissioners are present at each forum.
Commissioner David Sullivan said that Morley has refined his message and tailors it to each group he addresses, although some aspects remain the same.
Sullivan and the other commissioners have heard the presentation several times before, and they helped to craft its contents.
Both Sullivan and Morley say that a new revenue source is needed to maintain service levels.
Neither takes passage of the measure for granted.
Sullivan said that few people have spoken against the measure at the forums, but he he finds no sense of security in this fact.
“You think you know how 1,000 people are going to vote, then see there are 8,000 that you don’t.”
Morley said he’d like to see the measure pass and avoid the cuts, but is preparing for its failure.
Republican Jim Boyer, who is challenging incumbent Democrat John Austin for the District 3 seat, disagrees with his opponent on many issues, but favors theproposed sale tax increase “because there is no other option.”
Tom Thiersch, another frequent critic of the commissioners, said he will vote for the measure but does not like how it was developed.
“They have told us that by passing the tax increase, these programs will be funded,” he said.
“That means they have already made some decisions about the budget without a proper hearing.”
Sullivan disagrees with Thierch’s interpretation, saying that budget hearings still will take place in December at which time the final program determination will be made.
County staff members can say a program will be funded, but that is not final until the budget has been passed, Sullivan said.
Programs that are expected to be kept can be cut at the last minute, and the county could end up cutting programs they have up to that point promised to preserve, he said.
However, Sullivan says that such reversals won’t happen in this case.
“If the measure passes, we are honor-bound to fund these programs,” he said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
