Center, with pool, could bankrupt Snoqualmie
Published 12:43 am Friday, October 3, 2008
I write this as a concerned citizen. Do I want a community center in Snoqualmie? Yes! Can we afford the $9 million bond or the $9.7 million price tag for the community center model with pool on the ballot for Nov. 5? No!
If the community center is built with a pool now, it will break the city’s budget in a few years. In my opinion, the general fund of the city’s budget will not be able to pay the maintenance and operations (M&O) costs of running the community center.
Because of this, the city will more than likely have to go back to the voters for an M&O bond (just like the hospital did a few years back). Should the voters say “no” at that time, the only way left to pay these M&O costs will be to cut other city services or personnel. There simply will not be enough money to pay for everything.
If the City Council uses great care with the budget, the city should be able to afford a scaled-back community center, just like originally planned. But adding the pool at this time will break the city. Does anyone remember the recent past when the city had to call creditors and ask for more time to pay bills?
How did we get this far into the process and not know if we could afford the community center?
The city was told, by paid consultants, that the fund raising for the community center would, and could, raise $1.5 million. It raised $150,000. Besides that, the economy has changed rapidly. Bankruptcies are up, high-paying jobs are down and many families are living on credit cards.
Add to that news that King County and large cities like Seattle are cutting way back. As a matter of fact, King County is not expecting any increase in sales tax for 2003.
There is no way, at this time, that Snoqualmie can afford this pool.
For those who say they were promised a community center when they moved in – the developer made that promise, not the city.
The community center would be a place for our children and grandchildren and all families to meet and be a community. But the pool is a luxury at this time and will not be affordable. There are proponents’ fact sheets and Web sites that state this will only cost us 76 cents per $1,000 (based on the valuation of your home) and this is just pennies for a community center.
This may be pennies for some, but it could force other residents right out of town. Make no mistake, the cost will be carried by all city residents, not just citizens who live in the Ridge area of the city.
For the complete column, pick up a copy of this weeks Valley Record
