There’s some head shaking going on regarding increasing a levy to fund South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District on this November’s ballot. The district seeks to increase our property tax assessment from .22 per $1000 of assessed valuation to .46 per $1000.
Why?
When voters approved South Whidbey Parks and Recreation’s—SWPR—levy for 2022-2026, they agreed to pay up to .22 per $1000 of assessed valuation.
For instance, if someone owns a home worth $800,000, they pay up to $176 a year to fund SWPR. The levy monies pay for operational costs of the district. However, that levy did not anticipate an aquatic center budget, whose construction bond was approved in November 2023.
Voters approved issuing a $27 million revenue bond in 2023 to fund construction of the South Whidbey Aquatic Recreation Center—SWARC. At the time it was believed the amount was enough to cover costs. However construction costs have risen and it is estimated that an additional $4.9 million is needed to complete the project.
In hindsight, the aquatic/rec center would have cost less than half to build in 2008. However voters rejected a $15.2 million bond measure for the project in 2008.
Some of the kerfuffle over the proposed 2025 levy increase centers around understanding the difference between bonds and levies.
“There is a some fundamental confusion out in the public,” said Brian Tomisser, director of SWPR, a post he’s held the past two years. “You know social media. People get on Nextdoor and Facebook. A lot of water cooler talk. We’ve had a couple of meetings to explain the increase.”
The bond passed in 2023 raises funds to build the aquatic center. This cost is not part of the annual levy paid by property taxes. The bond is bought by investors. Typically bond funds are used solely for construction. Levies are typically used for ongoing operations such as paying staff, running programs, operating facilities, purchasing supplies, as well as funding permits and insurance.
The proposed levy more than doubles the amount assessed in property taxes. Part of the cost is due to projected operational costs in running the aquatic center, which is planned to open May 2027. Part of the increase seeks to provide funding needed to complete construction of the aquatic complex. Using the levy for this purpose is legal, says Tomisser.
“Everything we are doing has been run through our legal counsel and Island County,” he said.
Meanwhile, work has begun to prepare the site on Maxwelton Road. An Oct. 1 press release notes:
“Well anyone who has been down Maxwelton Road lately has probably noticed that site work has begun. The main site is nearly all cleared and they’ll now be working on filling and prepping the site. There is still a lot of work to be done, but so far everything has gone smoothly.”
What is causing some comment in the community is the proposed levy increase.
“People come to us and say we voted for this two years ago, why are you coming to us again?” said Tomisser. “We can’t take the money approved in 2023 to fund operations of the center.”
The district hosted two public education meetings on Sept. 24 and Oct. 7, seeking to explain the increased levy proposal. Tomisser notes: “Since we can not advocate for the levy, the purpose was really to just explain to the public the levy increase.”
To repeat, the current levy permits .22 per $1000 of assessed property value. It raises about $1.8 million per year in revenue for SWPR. It was approved in 2022 and runs until 2026.
With the addition of the proposed aquatic center, though, SWPR’s operating costs will increase.
Operating SWARC is estimated at an additional .19 per $1000 of assessed property value. Additionally another .05 is proposed to raise $415,000 per year to complete construction of the aquatic center and cover the costs not anticipated in the 2023 bond measure.
The new levy would replace the final year of the current levy and start a new four-year cycle running from 2026 to 2029.
Why propose a new levy a year early? Tomisser said SWPR is paid twice a year and the original levy good through 2026 would delay the aquatic center’s opening another year.
“If we don’t pass this levy, we’ll have to come back in 2026,” he said. “If the levy passes then, we don’t get the money until 2027. It takes months to hire and train people for the new center. A year’s wait would delay opening of the aquatic center. That’s why we’re doing this a year early.”
Paying an average of $4000+ a year in property tax for a house valued at $650,000, property owners may feel the pinch of another increase. Yet, the public voted for the aquatic center, believing it to be a resource many will use. The pool facility at Island Athletic Club has long been so popular, that swim lanes become crowded at times, and there is no separation from walkers using the swim lanes and those wishing to swim laps.
A SWPR project manual proposes:
The new South Whidbey Aquatics Recreation Center is designed to include a natatorium—a building which houses a swimming pool—with one 6-lane lap pool, one 2-lane teaching pool along with lazy river amenity, spa and sauna.
The facilities will include locker rooms, aquatic business and support spaces, fitness room, and two multi-purpose rooms. The grounds will include a parking lot with infrastructure for EV chargers, multiple outdoor seating spaces, and landscaped grounds.
The single-story building will be approximately 24,027 square feet. The surface parking lot will include approximately 79 parking spaces, EV chargers to serve four EVs, and infrastructure for ten additional future EV chargers.
A LOSS (Large Onsite Sewage System) is included in the scope. The location is remote from the new building site and will require trenching. Electrical service will be from an existing panel located in the Park’s adjacent Maintenance Building.
A new 100,000-gallon water tank is included in the scope. The location is remote from the new building site; however, it is adjacent to an existing water tank. This system will make use of the existing well. Upgrades will be required in the Pump House as well as the Water Treatment Building. IT, AV and Security are included in the scope of work by. Site work has begun.
To learn more, visit the Aquatic Recreation Center webpage.