PORT TOWNSEND – The failure of Port Townsend’s proposed utility tax increase means a cut in city services, say council members and the city manager.
“We’re going to have to make some hard choices,” said Port Townsend Mayor Mark Welch on Wednesday.
A special election ballot proposition that would have garnered $403,000 by increasing the city utility tax from 6 percent to 10 percent was shot down in the first count of ballots on Tuesday with 1,566 votes, or 43.77 percent, approving it to 1,999 votes, or 56.23 percent, opposing it.
Despite not all votes having been counted in the all-mail election, city officials conceded Tuesday night that the measure had lost. More votes will be counted on Friday.
The tax revenue would have funded additional positions in the police department, library, parks and maintenance and operations.
Those positions don’t exist at this time, so no layoffs are planned.
None of the revenue from the measure was incorporated into the 2007 budget.
But some reorganization is still necessary, said David Timmons, Port Townsend city manager .
“We have to adjust our work plan so it’s not reliant on those positions to do the job,” Timmons said.
“It really will affect our service delivery,” he said.
“What we have to modify is what expectations there are for what we can deliver.”
The City Council will discuss priorities in the next month and reorganize city work plans.
