NORTH BEND – The City Council last week approved an ordinance requesting that a special election be held on Sept. 18 so voters can decide whether to approve $3.5 million in general-obligation bonds to buy the central meadow area of Tollgate Farm, between Boalch Avenue and State Route 202.
The council also appointed residents to write for and against statements about the bond measure, to be included in the local voters pamphlet.
The bond measure is expected to cost taxpayers 61 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. Property taxes for a house assessed at $200,000 would increase by $10.18 per month, or $122.16 per year for no more than 20 years. The tax would be kept separate from the rest of the cityOs revenue and go into a fund that would only be used for the acquisition of the Tollgate property.
Councilman Jim Gildersleeve volunteered to write the statement opposing the bond issue. He said Friday his decision didn’t reflect any personal reasons, but people need to understand the possible negative impacts of preserving the farm as open space.
“There’s been no analysis of the potential impact, both short-term and long-term. There are impacts, and I think citizens need to understand those,” Gildersleeve said.
He said he would not detail what those impacts would be until he has written and made public his statement.
“I will address the pros somewhat, but I will also balance those with the cons,” he said.
The committee who will write the statement in favor of the bond measure include Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum board member Gardiner Vinnedge, North Bend resident Jack Webber and Ron Pedee, a member of Friends of Tollgate Farm.
Another reason Gildersleeve volunteered was because no one else has, but he did say he has received calls from people who want to help him.
Gildersleeve has until Aug. 8 to submit his statement to North Bend City Clerk George Martinez, and then Martinez must submit it to the voter’s pamphlet coordinator at the King County Records and Elections Division.
Julie Anne Kempf, superintendent of King County Elections, said several people can help Gildersleeve write the against statement. The committees in favor and against the bond measure must each consist of one to three people. Kempf said if no one had volunteered for either committee, the City Council would have had to conduct a selection process to appoint people, such as running an advertisement in the paper.
Kempf said anyone who is interested in joining the committee must approach the City Council for approval.
The farm’s value is estimated to be $12 to $14 million. The beginning land purchase came recently when King County bought 170 acres for $1.7 million. Another 160 acres were conveyed to the Trust for Public Lands last Tuesday, completing the first phase of acquiring Tollgate Farm.
The second phase involves 50 acres contained in the central meadow portion of the farm, which is inside North Bend city limits. The Sept. 18 election will decide whether the city can afford to buy it.
The third and final acquisition phase involves about 30 acres of land.
