HomeMy WebLinkAbout January 2013City of Port Townsend
From Mayor David King - New Year – Old Problems
If you are reading this with your January utility bill, the world didn't end on December 21.
Though this is for the most part good news it also means that the issues Council is work-
ing on while I write this in December remain before us in 2013.
I have been using the responsibility of providing newsletter articles for these utility bills as an op-
portunity to examine and quantify some issues that I feel are important for Council and for all of us
as individual citizens and taxpayers. I’ve always done my own research based on public records.
I’ve tried to be accurate (with varying results). And though I will not deny a bias towards a generally
positive view of the City’s future and our prospects for working together to get what we want, I try
to be receptive to information contrary to my expectations. I’m going to continue doing this in 2013.
I pulled the table below from the August newsletter. It’s an estimate I made of the local taxes a
sample household will have paid in 2012. It includes property taxes from a house valued at
$300,000, utility bills based on my own experience, and tax revenues from sales tax assuming
$10,000 of taxable spending within the city during the course of the year. It doesn’t include license
fees for vehicles or any other fees like building permits, etc. It doesn’t include Federal taxes. It allo-
cates to emergency services the EMS box on the property tax bill, plus the amount resulting from
the recent lid lift for that purpose, plus the amount allocated by the City to fire services under the
agreement reached with Fire District 1 in 2006 to create East Jefferson Fire Rescue.
Taxes. *Sigh* Who likes paying taxes?
We are an economically diverse community, with a wide rage of individual abilities (never mind
willingness) to pay taxes. I consider myself in the mid-range of those abilities. Alice is retired and
my business has been flat for several years, but our son Jamie’s grown and self-supporting. We
own our home and our vehicles, so we manage on savings, her social security, my city council sal-
ary and a bit from Townsend Bay Marine (TBM) where I am a managing partner.
If the dramatic rise in property values over the past twenty years is any indication, many of our
neighbors are probably better off than we are (though many of them had to achieve that by living
somewhere else for years, so perhaps “better off” is a misnomer). I know they share their good for-
tune because I see them volunteering around town, working on behalf of non-profits or creating
new ones - generally applying their skills and wisdom to the benefit of their community.
State of Washington $ 1,348.33 29.41%
Jefferson County General Fund $ 466.05 10.17%
Conservation Futures $ 12.71 0.28%
Jefferson County Criminal Justice $ 10.00 0.22%
Jefferson County Mental Health $ 10.00 0.22%
Jefferson PUD $ 34.32 0.75%
Port of Port Townsend $ 53.44 1.17%
Jefferson Transit $ 90.00 1.96%
Jefferson County Emergency Communications $ 10.00 0.22%
Emergency Services $ 463.06 10.10% Fire and EMS
Port Townsend School District $ 427.99 9.34%
Jefferson Health Care $ 68.39 1.49%
City of Port Townsend General Fund $ 514.16 11.22% Includes Police and Local Streets,
and Parks and Rec
City of Port Townsend Library $ 195.72 4.27%
City of Port Townsend Utilities $ 879.72 19.19%
$ 4,583.90 100.00%
(360) 379-5047 (email: citycouncil@cityofpt.us) www.cityofpt.us January 2013
But I also see the long line at the food bank on Wednesday and as an employer I’ve cut hundreds
of advance checks on wages. I know that lots of families don't even manage to live from paycheck
to paycheck. Over 17% of our citizens have incomes below the poverty level, as opposed to
12.5% for the rest of the state. Families struggle to stay in their homes in the face of even modest
increases in their property taxes. Perhaps most distressing is that over 50% of the kids at Grant
Street Elementary qualify for the free or reduced cost lunch program.
$4,600 is a lot of money for anyone.
I do not believe that local government is particularly wasteful or inefficient. I can see the effect of
my local taxes every day and even though I may not always benefit directly I support them on be-
half of their tangible benefits to friends and neighbors. I wish I could say the same for what I send
to Washington DC. I think our city and county staffs are skilled and dedicated to the service of
their community. Local elected officials aren’t bound to the moneyed interests that dominate na-
tional government. That's not because we're more virtuous than national or state office-holders
but because our campaigns are inexpensive. We can actually spend more time doing the job for
which we are elected than convincing you we should be allowed to do so again. When we’re
done, our revolving door just opens on to the parking lot, not a lucrative job in Olympia or DC.
Though the debt burden for our capital projects has been much in the news recently the better
part of rising city revenues has been applied to city services like maintaining the pool and provid-
ing free rent to non-profits at Mountain View. The City's situation is very like that of the County,
though its debt is lower, which also continues to cut services. Even after city voters authorized two
levy lid lifts in the last five years, one for fire and emergency services that brought city contribu-
tions in line with the rest of the fire district, and one to fund city library operations, the city property
tax rate at $8.76086 per $1,000 of assessed value remains lower than the County's which is
$9.77652. We are all struggling.
An allocation for parks and recreation is missing from my table. City and county funding for parks
and recreation come from budget allocations within their General Funds. School district budgets
also include allocations for recreation and the maintenance of recreation facilities. Absent a dedi-
cated funding source and a body of elected officials mandated for their care, parks and recreation
are always the first to be hit when municipal budgets are stressed.
The volunteer members of the Exploratory Regional Parks and Recreation Committee (ERPRC)
spent more than a year reviewing the challenge of supporting parks and recreation in our commu-
nity and arrived at a recommendation to create a Metropolitan Parks District for east Jefferson
County. This is not an original or radical idea. The Municipal Research and Services Center of
Washington (MRSC) lists 84 park and recreation special districts in the state.
City and County staff and elected officials have collaborated to advance that recommendation and
are preparing to convene a citizen’s group similar to the ERPRC to provide final recommenda-
tions. The result may be part of several measures we consider in 2013.
I believe a set of solutions at a reasonable cost is possible. We are not orders of magnitude shy of
the funds to operate these facilities and programs or we would not have been able to keep them
going as long as we have. A durable form of governance, so that the community can be assured
they are supported and maintained as a first priority, is perhaps more important than the revenue
issue. But each individual and family must decide whether the benefits to themselves and their
community are worth the sacrifices called for. I keenly feel the responsibility to ensure maximum
value for the least cost to taxpayers for any measure we bring forward to voters, and I’m sure oth-
er Councilors and Commissioners feel the same. I also feel particular responsibility to explain as
clearly as possible what are likely to be complex interrelated options so that informed voters can
make wise decisions. Our future will reflect the aggregate of those decisions.
City of Port Townsend
(360) 379-5047 (email: citycouncil@cityofpt.us) www.cityofpt.us January 2013
Kah Tai Park Work Parties
Eighteen hardy volunteers braved
the weather Sunday, December 9
at the Kah Tai Park and enjoyed
homemade cookies and hot peppermint tea.
Our next work party at the Kah Tai Park is
Sunday, January 20 from 9 a.m. to noon.
We will again focus on pulling Scot’s Broom
and picking up garbage. We are making a
noticeable difference but there is more to do.
Park at the parking lot near the bathrooms
and walk east past the small pond. Look for
a white Chevy pickup and the green volun-
teer sign southeast of the small pond. Wear
layered work clothes and bring work gloves.
Homemade cookies, hot tea, water, weed
pullers, and garbage bags will be provided.
Hope to see you there.
For more information, contact Rosemary
Sikes, program chair, Admiralty Audubon,
385-0307 or rosemarysikes@olympus.net.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Carnegie Library Turns 100 Years Old in 2013
As part of the Port Townsend Public Library
Centennial Celebration, we are creating a book
of the rich written account and visual history of
the library and its place in the community.
Become a sponsor today. Sponsorships begin at
$50 dollars and to say thank you, we would like
to feature your name in the book.
All sponsors will also receive a free copy of the
book upon publication.
Thank you for your generous support and let’s
celebrate 100 years of history together!
For more information, contact Theresa Percy at
tpercy@cityofpt.us
ENCORE!
With a grant from the Washington State Library and funding from the Institute of Museum and Li-
brary Services, the Port Townsend Public Library will continue offering its free jobs re-tooling pro-
gram for older workers. ENCORE is now geared specifically to those between the ages of 50 and
69 who anticipate re-entering the employment market. Join us and uncover your talents, explore
your strengths, grasp the tools necessary for creating your future professional fulfillment, and dis-
cover what you uniquely have to offer in today’s competitive job market.
Entry level computer training - Mountain View Library computer lab:
Introduction to Computers Introduction to the Internet Level I
February 20, 8:30 – 10 a.m. February 27, 8:30 – 10 a.m.
ENCORE exposition events - Library Learning Center:
Social Media 101: Introduction Re-Tooling Careers
to Facebook & Twitter - Session I March 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
March 6, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Business After 50
March 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the computer/technology events, contact Keith at 385-3181/344-3061 or
email kdarrock@cityofpt.us; for more information on the presentation/exposition events, contact
Nancesca at 385-5468 or email nschroff@cityofpt.us.
Found Property - Found property is held by the
Port Townsend Police Department for 60 days.
Call 385-2322 Monday-Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. with
proof of ownership.
Family-to-Family Education Program
FREE for family members and partners of
individuals with mental illness and disorders
- A series of 12 Saturday classes structured to help
caregivers understand and support individuals
with serious mental illness while maintaining
their own well-being.
- This course is taught by a team of trained National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) family
member volunteers who know what it is like
to have a loved one struggling with mental illness.
There is no cost to participate in the Program, how-
ever, registration is required. Location of the clas-
ses will be announced to registrants.
- Classes in Port Townsend will be:
Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
February 16 - May 4, 2013
- Register now. Space is limited. Phone 379-4735,
379-9949, or 385-1503.
Learn more about NAMI at: www.namijeffcowa.org.
Ninth Annual Strange Brewfest!
The American Legion Hall
January 25-27
Strange Brewfest has teamed up
with the American Legion Hall and licensed
through their non-profit, the Auxilliary Post, to
bring you the Ninth Annual Strange Brewfest.
Most of the profits from this event support the
American Legion Hall (they repaired their
floors last year) and their homeless shelter.
Join the Strange Brewfest featuring over 30
NW Breweries with over 60 'strange' brews
and live musical performances. Tickets are
available online or at the door. The $25 entry
gives you a souvenir drinking glass, 4 drink
tokens and access to the Festival all weekend
long. See www.strangebrewfestpt.com for
more details and come join the fun!
Enriching Our Public Schools through the PTEF
It’s easy to support the enrichment of Port
Townsend public schools through the Port
Townsend Education Foundation (PTEF).
Last year, the PTEF raised $52,000 that went direct-
ly to the local teachers who applied for grants to
support enhanced math technology and curriculum,
commercial cooking equipment, physics, art and
maritime programs, and much more.
To make a year-end donation that will go directly to
the schools go to: http://pteducationfoundation.org/
donate. This is also the time to save your space for
an evening of great fun and great art at the PTEF
Art4Education Auction, February 9, 2013 at the
Northwest Maritime Center http://
pteducationfoundation.org/auction. This year, televi-
sion host John Curley is the entertaining master of
ceremonies and auctioneer and we promise a very
good time. Be sure to “friend” us on Facebook or
find us at http://pteducationfoundation.org.
Tired of the long commute? Try Vanpool!
Vanpool is a program where 5
to 15 commuters travel together
and share the cost of being a
“Vanpool Group.” Jefferson
Transit owns, maintains, insures and licenses
the vehicle. The “Vanpool Group” fee covers
the costs of operating the van. Vanpooling
saves on your daily commute costs, saves
wear and tear on your personal vehicle and
reduces greenhouse gas emissions and traf-
fic congestion. Vanpoolers also enjoy a more
relaxed commute as each person shares driv-
ing duties with the rest of their group!
Through the Washington State Ferries permit
process, vanpool groups are eligible for fare
discounts and preferential loading on Wash-
ington State Ferries. Many civilian and mili-
tary employers also reimburse some or all of
the costs of Vanpooling!
Contact Jefferson Transit’s Mobility Coordina-
tor, Leesa Monroe at 360-385-4777 or visit
www.jeffersontransit.com/rider-services/van-
pool/ if you are interested in starting or join-
ing a vanpool group