PORT TOWNSEND — Both candidates in the Nov. 3 general election race for a Port of Port Townsend commission seat believe the port will need to raise additional revenue, they said at a forum.
“There are so many ways the port can raise money which must be considered and will require some very hard decisions,” said Diana Talley, 63, who is challenging incumbent Steve Tucker’s bid for a second term.
“This includes raising rates, raising taxes, reducing services and selling off nonperforming assets.
Tucker, 66, said raising revenue will be difficult.
“Cutting services can end up cutting revenue. If you cut out a yard guy, there will be no one to haul out the boats, so we would lose revenue,” he said.
Crowd of 100
About 100 people attended the Tuesday night forum at the Port Townsend Yacht Club.
The forum was sponsored by the Jefferson County League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. It was moderated by Katherine Buchanan.
Ballots will be mailed Oct. 14 for the general election.
“We are going to have to raise rates on practically everything to get us ahead of the curve,” Tucker said.
“I was told by a moorage tenant that raising rates is irresponsible if you don’t raise them enough to cover all your expenses.”
This includes debt service, maintenance, overhead and replacement of facilities, Tucker said.
Talley said the port will need to do more than raise rates.
“Raising rates will happen across the board no matter what anyone wants,” she said.
“Having said that, raising rates will not get us out of our current situation.
“We will have to do a lot more cutting of lots of stuff,” Talley said.
Both candidates acknowledged that raising rates could cause some tenants to leave but said there is enough of a waiting list to fill any empty spaces that may occur.
“It’s important to keep the moorage rates compatible with the cost of living in Jefferson County,” Talley said.
Talley said she agreed that the Boat Yard needs a wider boat ramp, now under development, but feels that replacing the ramp at this time gives those outside of the city limits short shrift.
“The people I am talking to while doorbelling are mad with a capital M that Port Townsend always get the jewels and the people in the county are neglected,” Talley said.
Boat launches
“The four launches in the county — Quilcene, Port Ludlow, Marrowstone and Gardiner — are all in need of repair, which should be done before we build another ramp with the purpose of building tourism for Port Townsend,” she said.
Tucker said the Boat Haven ramp’s construction priority was based on the number of customers.
“Nine out of 10 boats in Jefferson County are trailer boats, and most of them come to Port Townsend,” he said.
“The reason that we started here is because this is where the action is and we have facilities, hotels that you can stay in and restaurants that you can eat in.”
Tucker said the project, due for completion in early 2016, has taken longer than expected because the port was awaiting a $329,000 grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office that is going toward the total $450,000 cost.
The grant money comes from a tax paid by trailer boat owners, Tucker said of the project.
“They are paying 75 percent of the cost,” he said.
The project was ready to go earlier this year, but the port was unable to secure the grant in time to accommodate a state-imposed “fish window” that begins each Feb. 15.
Improvements neglected
Talley said port infrastructure improvements have been neglected.
“The port has been operating without a capital facilities plan and is fixing things as needed,” she said.
“The needs haven’t been taken care of in a strategic way, and I believe that a lot of our infrastructure needs will be treated with duct tape and baling wire.”
Said Tucker: “Duct tape and baling wire work very well in a lot of cases.
“Admittedly, we don’t have a plan, and repairs are being completed on an ad hoc basis,” he added.
“We’ve spent a lot of money keeping things going. We’ve done a lot of repairs on C and D dock, so things aren’t in as bad shape as you think.”
Facilities plan
Tucker said a facilities plan is in development and is scheduled for completion in early 2016 that will include an assessment of costs and a timeline as to when things need to be done.
“After that is complete, we will be able to go forward with a fiscally responsible plan,” he said.
Tucker, a retired business owner, said he will be in a better position to represent wide interests than Talley, who is a veteran of the maritime trades.
“The board is made up of three voting commissioners, and the marine trades and moorage tenants are already well-represented on the board,” said Tucker in a reference to District 2 commissioner Brad Clinefelter.
“Having two commissioners from a particular stakeholder group would allow that group to have a majority decision and essentially run the port.”
Keep commission balanced
Tucker said his election “will keep the commission balanced.”
Several times during the forum, Talley, who has worked in local maritime trades for 25 years, stressed the positive aspects of her maritime experience.
“To be an effective port commissioner, you need some strong on-the-ground experience and know how the port operates,” Talley said.
“You should learn to accept public input and go out and look forward, and be collaborative, cooperative and be able to plan ahead.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
