King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Nov. 4, 2003 Special Elections

CITY OF MERCER ISLAND
PROPOSITION NO. 1
LEVY FOR LUTHER BURBANK PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

The City Council of the City of Mercer Island presents this proposition concerning annual increases in the City’s regular property tax levy to pay costs of operating and maintaining Luther Burbank Park formerly owned by King County. This proposition authorizes annual increases in the City’s levy for six consecutive years for this purpose. The levy shall be increased in year one above the limit set by RCW 84.55.010 by $.0662 per $1,000 of assessed value to collect $415,000. The levy may increase in years two through six by the June Seattle-Tacoma CPI-W. Should this proposition be approved?
YES
NO

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The City of Mercer Island is submitting a maintenance and operations bond measure for Luther Burbank Park. Luther Burbank is a large park of 77 acres with three-quarters of a mile of Lake Washington waterfront and various recreational areas and amenities.

As a result of a King County budget shortfall, King County advised Mercer Island that it could no longer operate the Park. The Mercer Island City Council agreed to accept the park, understanding that the City would incur substantial future operations and maintenance costs. However, along with these costs Mercer Island citizens would enjoy important benefits, including (1) maintaining public safety in the park; (2) preventing further degradation of the asset; and (3) gaining control of future uses of the Park.

This proposition authorizes the City of Mercer Island to increase its tax levies annually for six consecutive years above the limit established in RCW 84.55.010. The amount of the first year increase will be $.0662 per $1,000 of assessed value, or about $33.10 per year for a $500,000 home. The levy may increase in years two through six by the Seattle-Tacoma CPI-W. Without voter approval of this measure, there will be insufficient funds to maintain and operate the Luther Burbank Park.

STATEMENT FOR

STATEMENT AGAINST

On January 1, 2003, Mercer Island was entrusted with the ownership of Luther Burbank Park following a property transfer from King County. This 77-acre property represents over 16% of the Island’s parks and open space property. Its 3/4-mile of shoreline more than doubles the city-owned waterfront. It will become the jewel of our city’s park system and a focal point for our community – but only if we provide the necessary resources to maintain it.
This levy funds a level of maintenance consistent with past practice, as well as overdue repairs on the tennis courts and other areas; modest funding is also included to preserve trails in Upper Luther Burbank Park. By limiting the levy to six years, the City Council has stayed true to its promise of examining alternate revenue sources rather than relying only on a permanent levy. This levy provides sufficient, but not excessive, funding until a long-term Park Master Plan can be developed.
We now have the opportunity and the responsibility to preserve this park, which is one of the Island’s most treasured community assets. For our sake and the sake of future generations, we urge you to support Luther Burbank Park with your yes vote.

REBUTTAL OF STATEMENT FOR

Luther Burbank is already a jewel. We do not need six years of master planning to overdevelop the park into a jewel.

The Council should find park maintenance in the budget, as they have this first year. Moderate capital improvements can come from our large surpluses, if competently managed. This excessive levy encourages additional levies for other parks or favored Council projects.

Vote NO to direct the City Council to find it in the budget.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Marty Gale

Find it in the budget!

We acquired Luther Burbank Park from King County and are now responsible for maintenance of this wonderful asset. City Council has accumulated over $8,000,000 in surplus and yet has set nothing aside for future Luther Burbank care. King County spent slightly over $200,000/year but our Council has loaded up the levy for over $400,000/year for six years.

Staff offered to use regular budget funds, the standard for all other parks on the island, but the Council refused.

Council is mismanaging the huge, $8,000,000 surplus, which should easily cover our needs. An overly expensive, unvoted, $13,100,000 community center, with millions in unvoted Councilmanic bonds, is a big part of the mismanagement.

Threats to close Luther Burbank are empty since the transfer agreement from the county requires Mercer Island to keep it open as a regional park.

Finding $200,000 in the City’s annual $33,000,000 expenditures should be easy for those Council candidates who assured us of their fiscal expertise when elected. We must not squander the taxing support by our good citizens when we have future high priority needs to fund, especially for our schools.

Vote “NO” and it’s certain they’ll find it in the budget!

REBUTTAL OF STATEMENT AGAINST

Truth is a lost art. But for its fiscal meltdown, annual County spending would have exceeded $400,000. Reduced spending impaired Park infrastructure. The City levy includes $100,000/year for corrective work. City staff, not the Council, first recommended this levy. The Community Center is an essential community asset particularly for seniors and children. The “mismanagement” would be not providing a proper Center. The only certainty of voting NO is that police, fire or other services suffer.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Andrea Lorig, Jim Owens

COMPLETE TEXT OF THE PROPOSITION

ORDINANCE NO 03-14

AN Ordinance providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Mercer Island at an election to be held on November 4, 2003, of a proposition authorizing the City to increase its tax levies annually for six consecutive years above the limit established in RCW 84.55.010 to provide funds for the purpose of operating and maintaining Luther Burbank Park, and specifying the dollar rate proposed for the first annual increase and the limit factor to be used to calculate increases in the following five years.

WHEREAS, the best interests of the inhabitants of the City of Mercer Island, Washington (the “City”) require the City to maintain park facilities within the City; and
WHEREAS, King County conveyed Luther Burbank Park to the City of Mercer Island because it could no longer afford to operate the park; and
WHEREAS, the City recognizes the need to address operating and maintenance concerns at Luther Burbank Park; and
WHEREAS, funds available to the City from the regular levy at the current rates during the upcoming years will be insufficient to meet such needs; and
WHEREAS, in order to finance the costs of the operation and maintenance as found necessary by the City Council, it is deemed advisable that the City impose taxes within the limits permitted to cities; and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.55.050 authorizes the voters of a City to permit the levy of taxes above the levy limitations established in RCW 84.55.010; and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.55.050 authorizes the voters to permit an increase of such taxes above the levy limitation for up to six consecutive years; and
WHEREAS, the conditions here and above set forth create an emergency which requires the holding of a special election in the City;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MERCER ISLAND, DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The City Council hereby finds that the best interests of the inhabitants of the City require the City to operate and maintain park facilities within the City including Luther Burbank Park.

SECTION 2. Upon approval of the voters of the Proposition specified in Section 4, the City shall be able to expend the approved funds to operate and maintain Luther Burbank Park. Funds raised under this levy shall be in addition to, and not supplant, existing funds used for these purposes.

SECTION 3. Pursuant to Chapter 29.13 RCW, it is hereby found and declared that an emergency exists requiring the submission to the qualified electors of the City of the proposition whether the City shall levy regular property taxes above the limitations established in RCW 84.55.010 for their ratification or rejection at a special election to be held on November 4, 2003. The proposition shall ask whether the City shall increase its tax levy above the limitation established in RCW 84.55.010 for six consecutive years. The proposition shall state the dollar rate of the proposed increase for the first year and specify the index to be used for determining a limit factor for the purposes of calculating the amount by which the City’s regular tax levy may be increased in years two through six. The amount of the first year increase shall be $.0662 per thousand dollars of assessed value, which tax levy is estimated to produce the sum of $415,000 per year. The index to be used for calculating the amount by which the City’s regular tax levy may be increased in years two through six shall be the Seattle-Tacoma CPI-W measured annually in June for the previous twelve-month period.
For the purpose of providing funds necessary for the needs described in Section 2 above, the King County Records and Elections Division, as ex officio supervisor of elections in King County, Washington, is hereby requested to find the existence of such an emergency and to call and conduct such special election to be held within the City on such day and to submit to the qualified electors of the City for their approval or rejection, a proposition providing for consecutive annual increases in the City’s aggregate tax levy. Upon approval of the voters of the Proposition hereinafter set forth, the City may use proceeds of such levy for such purposes.

SECTION 4. The Clerk of the City is hereby authorized and directed to certify said proposition to the King County Records and Elections Division, as ex officio supervisor of elections in King County, Washington, in the following form:

CITY OF MERCER ISLAND
PROPOSITION NO. ___

LEVY FOR LUTHER BURBANK PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

PASSED THIS 2nd DAY OF September, 2003, by the City Council of the City of Mercer Island, and signed in approval therewith this 2nd day of September, 2003

Signed by: CITY OF MERCER ISLAND
Alan Merkle, Mayor

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