Dear Park Supporter,
As you may know, a proposed City levy for Mercer Island parks will be on this November's election ballot. The pros and cons of the issue have been laid out in the King County Voters’ Pamphlet. As the Concerned Citizens for Mercer Island Parks, we encourage you to consult the Voters’ Pamphlet (https://www.sos.wa.gov)
The Structure of the Proposed Levy
§ The proposed levy would replace an existing 15-yr parks levy that ends in 2023.
§ If approved, the current park's fifteen-year levy will be terminated one year early, and the proposed levy will be increased by one year to sixteen years.
§ The proposed levy would support three aspects of the Mercer Island parks and open space system:
Approximate 2023 Annual Cost
o General Operations & Maintenance of all parklands $ 990,000
o Replacement of aging playgrounds $ 414,000
o Pioneer Park forest management $ 225,000
o Total $ 1,629,000
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§ Due to the additional items of playground replacement and greater forest management restoration, the proposed levy would cost 66% more per year than the current levy.
§ Language in the levy ordinance permits a 1% statutorily allowed annual increase in levy proceeds. The increase would need to be approved by the City Council annually.
Since this issue is at the forefront of CCMIP's mission, we provide our analysis of the issue below:
§ CCMIP's mission is to promote parks and their sustainability. The proposed levy is consistent with this mission.
§ Parks are indisputably one of the most important contributing components to Mercer Island's high quality of life.
§ The principal arguments put forth in opposition to the current levy are:
· that it is too loosely worded, and so runs the risk that some of the funds may be indirectly re-designated by the City Council for uses other than parks .
· that the length of the proposed levy is too long, and a shorter time frame, e.g., six or eight years, would allow for more accountability and flexibility.
§ A critical question is whether the proposed levy helps or hinders the proposed City Council legislative action to better protect the parks.
§ If the proposed parks levy fails this year, the current levy will cover parks expenses for the coming year, and Council will propose another Parks Levy next year, and be able to address any shortcomings of the current proposal.
No doubt many of you will come down on different sides of the levy issue. We encourage you to discuss this with fellow Islanders and to vote based on your own judgement.
Concerned Citizens for Mercer Island Parks, P.O. Box 1337, Mercer Island, WA 98040
Protect All Mercer Island Parks