Letter to Editor | Let’s all vote YES on Park & Rec levy

||| FROM GEORGETTE WONG |||

Please vote YES on Proposition 1 for the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (OIPRD) levy. Parks and Rec enriches the lives of so many of us on island. Adults and kids play sports, take their dogs to the dog park, walk through the park and chat with friends (socially distanced, of course).

OIPRD owns and operates Buck Park — which has a dog park, fields for soccer, softball and baseball, a skate park, a basketball court, tennis courts, pickle ball, and a playground. In addition, Park & Rec offers a variety of programs including art, dance, youth sports, adult sports, camps, clinics and special events. The executive director of the District estimates that approximately 120 programs are offered to about 1900 children and adults each year. That’s a lot of us!

The levy is 15 cents per $1000 of assessed property value for each of six years beginning in 2022. For example, a property assessed for $500,000 would pay $75 per year. This levy replaces the one that expires in 2022. 

The levy would generate approximately $450,000 in 2022, and is the vast majority of OIPRD’s budget. Proceeds go towards programming, maintaining and improving facilities, and staff. Without a YES vote, we would lose all the programming that is offered and Buck Park will not be maintained.

Every vote counts, especially because the levy requires approval by 60% or more of those voting at the election.