Orcas Rec, Cut Off from County Funding, Looks to District Formation to Survive

At the Orcas Town Hall meeting on Oct. 21, it became apparent that whether Proposition 1 — providing restoration of $200,000 for the County Parks among other measures – passes or fails, the Orcas Rec program as we have known it will no longer be funded by the county.

With this year’s economic downturn, the Orcas Rec program has seen its allocation of $16,000 cut 100 percent from the County budget. The Rec program is kept open by donations, fees and grants — that are accounted for by the county.

Kevin O’Brien, a current Orcas Island Recreation Program Advisory Board member, presented the ballot initiative to create an Orcas Island Park and Recreation District to the Town Hall gathering. Along with the initiative proposing a district be formed is a slate of candidates to form the by-laws and budget for the district.

Both the district formation and the slate of candidates will be decided in the Nov. 3 general election.

O’Brien said that the Orcas Rec program, the Funhouse and the School District had met earlier this year to find a solution to chronic funding problems for their programs. With the formation of a park and recreation district for Orcas Island, O’Brien said proponents felt “a strong, sustainable recreation program for kids and adults” would be set in place.

He noted that San Juan Island has had such a district for 20 years. “With the voters’ approval, the Orcas Park and Rec Commissioners will work diligently and openly to establish a good, sustainable rec program and parks system… serving kids, adults and seniors.”

O’Brien said that, if Orcas voters approve the formation of the district, a levy may be on the February ballot to fund it.

To Steve Henigson’s assertion that a levy to fund a new Park and Recreation District was inevitable, Bob Eagan, a candidate for the proposed district, reminded the gathering that the Eastsound Sewer and Water District had no levy attached to it until about the 1970s, and that although a levy for the new Orcas Park and Rec district may be likely, it is not inevitable.

Earlier in the meeting, the Orcas Parks and Rec District Candidate Jim Bredouw asked how the $200,000 allotted in the County budget to the County Parks would be spent on Orcas Island. Rose replied Orcas Islanders would have to find a “new way to run the Eastsound Village Green.” If the tax increase in Proposition 1 doesn’t pass. When Rose said that about $25,000 is spent for the Village Green (separate from the public toilets that are maintained through the lodging tax), Leith Templin asked if that expense paid for anything beyond the mowing of the Green.

Rose responded that the funds were for  “more than mowing.”

County Council Member Richard Fralick commented that of the 17 county parks, only two are located on Orcas Island.

When asked to project the outcome of voters’ decisions on both the Orcas Rec program and the County property tax increase, which would provide the $200,000 for the County Parks Department, Rose responded:

“If the district measure passes but the levy fails, our hope is that a new district board could take over administration into 2010, because we’ll be scrapping [the current Orcas Rec program];

“If the district initiative fails but the levy passes, we’ll suggest public meetings to determine do you still want a ‘storefront’ program where the county provides staff, insurance, etc.

“If both the district initiative and the property tax increase are approved, [the county] will help carry Orcas Rec until it’s independent;

“If both measures fail, there will be meetings to find out what the populace desires.”