ORCAS ISLAND PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT - Proposition No. 1 – Six-Year Property Tax Levy · San Juan County

Vote Yes to Renew the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District Levy. This is not a new tax. This measure renews the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (OIPRD) levy, funding operations and maintenance for another six years at a rate of 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Passage requires 60% voter approval, with a turnout of at least 40% of the prior general election. Past OIPRD levies have consistently passed with overwhelming and much appreciated community support. OIPRD has become a mainstay of island life. It serves as many as 3,000 islanders each year through nearly 300 programs over the past 15 years in youth and adult recreation, arts, and enrichment, while maintaining Buck Park’s playground, ballfields, tennis and pickleball courts, skatepark, and dog park. This levy sustains current operations and a modest funding buffer. It does not fund major capital projects. For the owner of an Orcas Island home assessed at $800,000, it costs about $120 a year, which is $10 a month. Failure to renew this levy would mean real budget reductions, deferred maintenance, reduced operating hours, program cuts, and staffing impacts. This would jeopardize a resource that this community has built together over the last 15 years. A yes vote simply continues what islanders have already shown they care about, which is a resource that works for Orcas Island. Vote yes to renew the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District levy and keep these community resources strong for the next six years. Written by Ed Andrews Jason Bradshaw Barb Skotte

A significant portion of the Parks & Rec District’s expenses come from programs and activities; which can change in frequency and cost over the course of a given year. These are more easily supported by grants and endowments, and volunteer giving or service in lieu of cash; which empowers the citizens to support the District according to their values, and within their means as seasons and opportunities change. The District tax levy is also flawed in its execution. The County distributes collected funds for the levy, but the burden of processing those funds rests with the District. Additionally, even if property taxes increase, state law forbids the District from increasing the collection beyond 1% per year, causing their revenue to stagnate even if the County’s revenue increases. Rather than increasing taxation upon the populace through a standardized levy, which burdens citizens regardless of their present situation; the District can request a budgetary levy for ear-marked, recurring expenses while relying on local support as needed for additional and unforeseen costs. We all enjoy our parks and recreation opportunities on Orcas, so let’s keep their upkeep and utilization local, and outside the reach and expense of regulations and bureaucracy. Written by Nathan Carter