PORT ANGELES — Voters can expect to be asked to approve a new property tax levy sometime next year to fund the city’s waterfront redevelopment plan and renovation of Civic Field.
Although it took no action, the Port Angeles City Council voiced support Tuesday for a new special levy to fund those projects during a work session on the 2012 budget.
The council also directed staff not to increase the regular property tax levy for the second year in a row.
Even if a new levy is approved by voters — either during a special election in February or during the November 2012 general election — residents would not end up paying more property taxes to the city than they do currently, staff assured the council.
That’s because the special levy that funded the construction of the Port Angeles Senior Center will lapse next year, and the city will consider only a new tax of equal or less amount, staff said.
“Our direction is not to increase [property taxes] but to keep it at the same level,” city Finance Director Yvonne Ziomkowski said Wednesday.
Additionally, property owners will stop paying taxes for the construction of the fire station in 2013 and the construction of the library in 2015.
In total, the city could borrow about $9 million with the expiration of the special levies and keep property tax levels stable, Ziomkowski said.
That would be more than enough to cover the Civic Field renovation, estimated at between $3.2 million and $6.7 million.
It could also be enough to make progress on the waterfront redevelopment plan, which would cost as much as $17 million to fully implement.
Although $3 million is proposed to go to waterfront improvements next year, including construction of an esplanade west of the ferry dock, the city is projecting little or no growth in sales tax revenue, making finding funds to complete either project, or make significant progress, unlikely within future budgets.
Improvements to Civic Field would include replacing failing lights, constructing a new field drainage system and replanting the field or replacing it with artificial turf.
The field is at risk of losing night games due to the poor lighting, city staff have said.
Additionally, the field doesn’t meet Washington Interscholastic Activities Association guidelines, meaning it cannot host playoff games.
The waterfront development plan includes a new two-acre park west of Oak Street, the esplanade, the expansion of Hollywood Beach, as well as several landscape, road and lighting improvements.
Details of the waterfront plan can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/wfplan.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
