PORT ANGELES — Voters living within the boundary of the Port Angeles School District will choose the fate of the William Shore Memorial Pool.
The Port Angeles City Council members, in a 5-2 vote, and the Clallam County commissioners, in a 3-0 vote, approved on Tuesday the funding of a special election on the question of creating a taxing district, known as a metropolitan park district, to fund a large gap between the pool’s revenue and expenses.
A special election for the William Shore Memorial Pool District, as it was named by the City Council members, could be held as early as May 19.
The district would have the same boundary as the school district.
The election would cost approximately $60,500, with the city paying 60 percent and the county paying 40 percent of its expenses.
Yvonne Ziomkowski, city finance director, said at the meeting that a property tax levy could initially range from 12 cents to 29 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation.
That would mean a tax of between $23 and $57 per year on a $200,000 home.
This would pay for the funding gap estimated at about $400,000 for this year, the total cost of the election, administration costs — such as accounting fees — and any loans the park district would use before it receives any property tax revenue in April 2010.
The funding gap is currently made up by the city’s general fund.
Other facilities?
The two votes against holding the special election came from City Council members Larry Williams and Karen Rogers, who both said that the council’s resolution should specifically say that the park district can fund other city park and recreation facilities.
They cited concerns that other park facilities also are facing funding deficits.
“We need to face the stark reality that our ability to fund all these things is becoming more and more diminished,” Williams said.
Said Rogers: “Long-term flexible fiscal options — that’s what our role is whenever we set fiscal policy.”
City Attorney Bill Bloor said before the vote that the park district can take on the responsibly of funding other park facilities if its board — which would be made up of appointments from the City Council and Clallam County commissioners — chooses to take that action.
Commissioners
Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman told the City Council that the commissioners would retract their support for the resolution if it placed funding for all of the city’s park facilities — and not just the pool — under the park district’s authority.
“We would not be able to be a partner any longer if the district is expanded,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton opposed expanding the resolution to include other park facilities.
“I feel quite sincerely that if we redirect this effort and change it in this very significant way, we seriously risk our partnership,” she said.
Wharton brought up the possibility of expanding the resolution to include other park facilities at the Clallam County commissioners meeting on Tuesday morning.
“This is just a discussion,” she told the three commissioners.
Chapman also said at that meeting that the commissioner was asked by the city to look at a resolution to support the pool, not other facilities, and that he is not interested in a last-minute broadening of the park district because it “would be unfair to the community.”
“We’ve got a small window here,” he said.
Chapman and Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones proposed the idea of forming such a park district at a community rally to save the pool last October in the Vern Burton Community Center gym.
The City Council, facing budget constraints, announced last September that the pool would close at the end of 2008 unless a plan could be implemented to make up the funding gap.
It extended that deadline in December to allow Save the Pool PA to collect donations.
If the park district is not approved by voters within the Port Angeles School District, the pool will close on May 31.
The city’s funding of the pool will end on March 31, and community donations will be used to make up the funding gap for the next three months.
So far, Save the Pool PA, which has headed the fundraising efforts, has raised approximately $64,000, said Krista Winn, group chairwoman.
Ziomkowksi said donations can now be made at City Hall and are tax-deductible.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
