SEQUIM — Volunteers have gathered more signatures than are needed to place on the Aug. 4 ballot a metropolitan park district measure to keep Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center open, a spokeswoman said.
Before the measure for the pool and exercise center known as SARC can be on the ballot, signatures must be verified by the Clallam County Auditor.
If sufficient number are valid, the auditor will place the measure on the ballot.
More than 3,700 signatures had been collected by late last week, said Virginia O’Neil, spokeswoman for the volunteers.
Judy Rhodes of Sequim, who is heading the petition drive, has said that the petition must be signed by 15 percent, or 3,247 of the 21,647 registered voters in the SARC district, which covers the same area as the Sequim School District within Clallam County.
“Our goal was to get 4,000,” O’Neil said. “Between 12 and 20 percent of signatures are generally invalid” on petitions.
“We’re continuing to gather signatures.”
The committee plans to give the petition signatures to the county Auditor by May 1.
In the meantime, the panel is vetting signatures as it goes along to ensure it will have enough, O’Neil said.
If it is on the ballot and is approved by registered voters, a metropolitan park district would be formed as a permanent taxing district.
Five board members would be elected during the same election.
Once elected, the board would levy a property tax. The SARC petition says that the levy would be 12 cents per $1,000 assessed property valuation.
By law, such boards can levy up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The point of the measure is to ensure revenue for SARC, which board members say will run out of funds by the end of 2016.
On Feb. 10, voters rejected a property tax levy of 12 cents or less per $1,000 assessed valuation for SARC.
SARC is now a junior taxing district that must ask voters for each levy and obtain a 60 percent supermajority for passage.
A simple majority is required to approve creation of a metropolitan park district and once formed, such a district does not need to ask voters for more money.
On Feb. 28, the SARC board passed a resolution that, among other points, encouraged formation of a citizens committee to gather petition signatures for an August metropolitan park district election.
Volunteers began collecting signatures in early March.
“To have gathered so many signatures in that amount of time indicates that the community is in support of SARC’s metro,” O’Neil said.
The city of Sequim has asked SARC not to seek a metropolitan park district designation this year.
On March 23, the Sequim City Council considered a proposal to urge SARC to work with the city to find funding through 2017 and allow the city to place a “broad-based” metropolitan park district measure on the 2016 ballot.
The council postponed discussion and will consider it again April 27.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
