NORTH WHIDBEY: Park and rec district proposes major change (WNT)

Sam Fletcher reports on a proposal by the North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District for the Whidbey News-Times.

Officials are proposing to change the North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District to a form of government that would allow the collection of property taxes without having to ask voters to pass a levy on a regular basis.

A proposed “metropolitan park district,” with the same district boundaries, would have the benefit of bringing financial stability to the district, which runs a pool, a dog park and ball fields. On the other hand, the change would strip residents of some power over taxes.

They Said It

Every six years, the North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District needs a 60% supermajority to pass a levy to support the services, said district Commissioner James Morrow*. Six years ago, the levy failed to reach this threshold twice.

The change to a metropolitan park district can end up on the ballot through petitioning, said Oak Harbor City Councilmember Eric Marshall, but district officials can skip that process if it gets approval from both the city council and the Island County Board of Commissioners.

The North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District’s yearly levy hasn’t changed in six years despite inflation, he said, and even if it was redesignated as a metropolitan park district, the increases will be marginal.

“For over 40 years, multiple thousands of citizens across generations from every walk in life have used the pool,” Morrow said. “We look forward to another 40-plus years if the (metropolitan park district) is established.”

Morrow, however, argued that most of the [alternatives to forming a metropolitan park district] are not feasible as they either shoehorn the district’s plans into the city’s, create a higher levy tax, step on other entity’s toes or don’t address the needs the North Whidbey Pool, Park and Recreation District currently must meet.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what the people of North Whidbey want to do, Marshall said. Council approval is just one step.

“I’m one that believes that the people need to be the ones that have the say in this,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

* Ed. Note: The NWPPRD Commissioner’s name is James Marrow, not Morrow as written by the Whidbey News-Times.