— by Margie Doyle —

Mike Thomas, left, and Nick Jones debate San Juan County Proposition 1

Mike Thomas, left, and Nick Jones debate San Juan County Proposition 1

County Proposition 1 on the November election ballot would renew taxes to fund Senior Services, Parks, Extension Services (including 4-H), Victim Services, Public Health and Corrections in San Juan County.  The Proposition was established in 2009 as the County struggled to fund programs.

County Manager Mike Thomas spoke in favor of the passage of Proposition 1 at the LWV Voters Forum on Orcas, Oct. 8. Nick Jones, Lopez Island businessman (Jones Family Farms) countered Thomas’ arguments.

Thomas said that although some $11M per year is now generated by taxes, to continue the services as they exist today will cost $5 to $7 per month for the average homeowner, upon passage of the proposition. The question is whether to continue to fund these programs at the current level, Thomas asserted.

Jones said that the levy, which he supported in 2009, then generated $40M and now generates $60M per year. The question before voters, he said, is not whether we value community government services, but what is the reasonable size and growth rate for San Juan County. The county needs “root and branch” reform, Jones said. Proposition 1 is not a t huge increase, he said, but it is cumulative and the broader question is “how is the county spending its money?”

Thomas said that county government “is a creature of the state” with mandated services such as 24/7 emergency dispatch, health services, and the like. “If we really look at [county] expenditures, we will see they’re declining about four percent a year.”

Jones said that county expenses have been growing faster than the growth rate: “We spend 3 times more per capita than comparable counties.”

Thomas argued that the cost of doing business in the county must also be factored into the expenses.

In response to a question about the impact of a “no” vote on Proposition 1 and whether the county would make budget cuts “incrementally or wholesale,” Thomas  cited the cuts since 2009 to staff, buildings and equipment.

Jones claimed the infrastructure for a county our size is “incredible,” that while revenue grows by one to two percent, expenditures grow five to six percent. “It’s a bad situation, with or without this tax.”

While he agreed with Jones that county government “does have a problem” in its infrastructure, Thomas said that the question before voters now is the proposition on the ballot, to levy dedicated funds.”

 

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