Marina Blatt reports from the Oak Harbor City Council workshop meeting of Tue., July 22, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
The Oak Harbor City Council remains divided on how to save the deteriorating marina, as months of indecision continue to cost the city.
At a city council workshop Thursday, David Goldman, deputy city administrator and finance director, laid out a comprehensive list of potential paths forward for the marina as it gets closer to becoming unusable. The options ranged from dredging and breakwater repairs to full renovations or even closure, each paired with various funding strategies. The council members debated these choices extensively.
During Goldman’s presentation, council members were also presented with different options for a B&O tax, which many found favorable. The proposed tax includes a range of business tax thresholds, from $5 million, which would affect 26 businesses, down to $100,000, which would impact 524 businesses.
They Said It
Some members considered lending the marina out to the nearby port district, with Mayor Pro Tempore Tara Hizon leading the discussion in favor of this.
“Coupeville Port District would just expand, so we’re not reinventing the wheel,” Hizon said.
Hizon said her decision is driven by a desire to make the greatest impact, maximize value, extend the marina’s life and usability and place the least burden on as few people as possible.
Mayor Ronnie Wright reminded the council that another potential funding option they have is grant money. The city is moving forward with $21.5 million in grant requests, he said, which has the support of Rep. Rick Larsen, Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell.
“There’s no sense adding a new tax, putting a burden on our businesses if we don’t have to,” Councilmember Eric Marshall said in opposition to implementing the tax. “That’s irresponsible governance. It’s not the way that we should be acting as a council. ”
Hizon saw the tax as a positive instead.
“There are so many things that this community needs, and that if we did implement a B&O tax, and then we got the grant, there are so many other things that we could use that money for, and the rec center being one of them,” she said.
Councilmember Barbara Armes stressed that this decision, no matter what it comes out to, needs to be made.
“You know, we need to move this along. We have kicked the can, we have lost this revenue, because we can’t make a decision. We cannot wait and hope that we’re going to get this grant. We need to be putting money aside,” Armes said regarding the over $60,000 it costs the city every month without an implemented solution.
“And yes, we’re gonna make people upset, but it won’t matter what decision we make,” she added. “So it’s about preserving our marina, hopefully getting that grant and getting to some extra revenue for those other things that are vitally important to everybody else on the council.”
Councilmember Bryan Stucky told the News-Times that though he is still undecided, he urges people, if they have opinions on the matter, to submit public comments for the upcoming meeting on Aug. 6.
Echoing Armes’ urgency, he said, “I’m hoping next meeting this will be resolved … or the decision will be made for us and there will be no marina.”
Wright urged council members to move forward with a vote at the next meeting.
“Let’s just make a decision and start moving forward with this,” he said. “We’ve got to take action, we’ve got to do something to save the marina.”
On the Ballot in November 2025
| CITY OF OAK HARBOR |
|---|
| Councilmember, Position 4 Barbara Armes |
| Councilmember, Position 5 James P. Marrow, the incumbent Brit Kraner Marrow was appointed to replace Shane Hoffmire until the results of the election are certified in November. |
| Councilmember, Position 6 Andy Plumlee Sandi Peterson Incumbent Jim Woessner did not file for another term. |
| Councilmember, Position 7 Bryan Stucky |
