Vashon Park District - Maintenance & Operations Levy
This fall Vashon residents will be asked to vote on renewing the Vashon Park District Maintenance and Operations Levy. Ballots will arrive in mid-October and are due November 5th.
The Vashon Park District’s 18 parks and facilities (524 acres) are utilized by thousands of islanders on a daily basis. Your vote keeps them open. Point Robinson, Village Green, Vashon Pool, VES and Agren Athletic Fields, Ober Park, Paradise Ridge, BARC,
and more form the recreational heart and soul of the island.
If this levy doesn’t pass, our parks and facilities will be closed, including facilities for youth and adult sports programs such as soccer, softball, lacrosse, horseback riding, skateboarding, baseball, swimming, and rowing.
We would like to provide the following facts about this levy. If you have questions, please contact Vashon Park District Executive Director Elaine Ott-Rocheford at 206-463-9602 or
eott@vashonparks.org
Vashon Park District Levy – Get the Facts
This is not an additional levy – it will replace the existing levy, which expires at the end of 2019.
The current levy was voter approved in 2015 at 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The new levy will fund our parks for 4 years (2020- 2023) and is asking for 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value - less than $19 per month for a property assessed at $500,000.
The levy funds are used 100% on Vashon. The Vashon Park District does not receive money from King County for operations, nor will they or the Vashon Island Land Trust take over if this levy doesn’t pass.
The Vashon Park District is 100% debt free and recently received a positive review from the Washington State Auditor’s Office
The levy is for maintenance and operations, as well as an increase in recreational programming, which is in response to a community survey.
The Levy Pays for Parks, Facilities, Events & Recreational Programming:
Athletic fields for soccer, softball, baseball, and lacrosse
Youth programming for swimming, skateboarding, sailing, and skiing
A year round community pool for lessons, lap swim, family swim, water aerobics, and swim team
Access to the waterfront, picnic sites, and walking trails at Lisabeula, Point Robinson, Fisher Pond, Jensen Point, Burton Acres, and Wingehaven
BARC - skate, BMX and disc golf
Paradise Ridge equestrian facilities and trails
Access to School District fields, gymnasiums, weight room and meeting facilities
Community events: picnics, outdoor films, trail stories, Low Tide Festival, Kite Day, Concerts in the Park
Rental facilities at Point Robinson and Fern Cove
The Levy Pays for High Priority Facility Maintenance & Preservation:
Ober Park roof replacement and playground renovations
Replacement of two 20-year-old maintenance vehicles
Vashon Pool repairs (tile, lighting, painting, deck)
Point Robinson Lighthouse stairwell and decking modifications - road and parking lot repairs
Fern Cove rental property repairs (this is a revenue generator for VPD)
Questions Answered
What happens if the levy fails again in November?
VPD will lay off staff and close parks and facilities. The VPD will be allowed two more attempts to pass a levy in 2020. If one passes, funding will start again in 2021. In the meantime, VPD parks and facilities would remain closed for at least a year.
If the Park District levy fails, will King County or the Vashon Island Land Trust take over?
No. If VPD were to dissolve, the District can name a successor taxing district, but King County has stated they would be unlikely to accept it. The Vashon Island Land Trust is not a taxing district and, therefore, could not take over VPD.
King County Parks ran a levy ballot measure in August, 2019. Does VPD receive funds from the King County Parks levy?
No. The VPD is a separate, stand-alone Park District and receives zero funding from King County and the State for maintenance and operations.
Is there room for both the newly proposed Hospital District and the Park District?
Yes, a Hospital District and Park District can co-exist under the present tax structure allowances.
Does the Vashon Park District have millions in the bank?
No. VPD’s policy is to maintain a reserve of $400,000 at the end of the year to manage cash flow. Prior to establishing this reserve, VPD utilized a line of credit, which cost taxpayers in interest payments and was highly frowned upon by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The District’s reserve policy also serves as an emergency fund. All other funds go towards programming, operations, and maintenance.
Can grants pay for the Park District’s capital improvement needs?
VPD has successfully obtained grants for capital improvement projects, but grants do not cover everything. Grants are highly competitive and usually require matching funds, which comes from levy dollars. Capital projects often require permits and engineering services -- costs that are not covered by grants. Grants are not available for maintenance-related needs such as structural repairs and equipment purchases.
Is it true that facilities such as the skate park and community swimming pool can be funded with private money rather than the Park District?
While VPD is very grateful for the generous fundraising efforts of those user groups, we cannot rely on private funds to operate and maintain those facilities.
Are Park District Employees Paid a Living Wage?
In 2018 and 2019, employees cumulatively received a 19.5% wage increase in response to challenges in maintaining and recruiting staff due to uncompetitive wages (27.3% below industry) and cost of living. Moving forward, there are no planned increases other than cost of living. VPD wages are still 10% lower than the average for same-size park agencies in the Puget Sound region. As a point of comparison, in September 2019, the maintenance staff at the Vashon Island School District will receive an 18% wage increase to be distributed over the next 3 years. In 2018, VPD wages were 11.6% below like positions at the School District.
Is there anything in it for me? I don’t use the parks.
Do you attend after-hour meetings at the School District? VPD staff provides after-hour access to the School District facilities. Do you attend Drama Dock theater productions? Drama Dock rehearses in VPD facilities. Do you live next to and enjoy undeveloped open space around you? VPD owns 524 acres of property on Vashon – 48 properties, of which 30 are undeveloped. Visitors to Vashon parks, lodging facilities, and athletic events provide income to island businesses. VPD sponsors the Food Bank’s Picnics in the Park, Strawberry Festival, and numerous Vashon community events. VPD owns the Concerts in the Park series. The Farmer’s Market is held at the Village Green – a VPD park. You may not use the parks and facilities, but it is quite likely your life is touched by the presence of the Vashon Park District.