I’m concerned that we have some voters considering voting no for the levy but yes to form the district. I understand why that approach might feel better – afterall, supporting students and working families feels important. But in this case, the solution is the funding. The revenue that comes with levy approval is the answer.

If the levy passes, commissioners can immediately begin securing a loan using the approved levy as a guarantee (as levy revenue won’t be collected until 2027). Short-term funding loans are a common strategy for newly formed districts to get operations up and running before revenue starts coming in. Our local hospital district used this method too. That loan can begin funding school sports, reinstate middle school sports, and make a dent in the school’s $300,000 budget deficit. Without approved levy revenue, there is simply no way to secure a startup loan, which means more waiting and more uncertainty for the programs families depend on.

This levy is set for six years, but Lopez Rec will have no funding reserves when it starts. The current levy allows the district to set aside a little each year to ensure programming can continue without interruption. It also allows for growth and adaptability – commissioners can and should consider banking capacity (collecting less levy revenue than is approved) so that programming can be developed at a measured pace and over time. As a candidate for commissioners, that’s my intention.

But if the levy fails, commissioners would need to decide if they should come back to voters at the same rate or try for a lower rate and less revenue.

As a thought experiment, let’s do some math. Orcas Rec’s (OIPRD) levy generates $493,000, but it doesn’t fund school sports or provide out-of-school care for working families. If we subtract $330,000 for out-of-school care, that leaves just $163,000. That doesn’t even leave enough for sports – or anything else. Orcas’s levy revenue couldn’t save the programming we’re looking to preserve.

Let’s explore bare-bones alternatives.
-Out-of-school care: $330,000 (Rally for the Rec budgeted $200k thinking we could utilize the staffing support of a director to put on the programming)
-Sports: $180,000
-Say we even kept a little for capital improvements (a revolving fund to invest in the upkeep of our shared physical resources): $80k
-A moderately paid staff person: $65,000
-Insurance: $33,000 (an allowance based on Island Rec’s actual expenditure)
-Basic accounting and legal: $20,000

That equals $708,000. If commissioners bring back the levy to voters at 32 cents, it would give the District that same $708,000 in levy revenue. That saves a property owner with an assessed value of $1 million $50 per year, or about $4 per month. At $4 per month, it seems like voting yes now makes the most sense. That small amount goes a long way to bringing an immediate and long-term solution to sustaining essential community programs.

As another option, commissioners could opt to omit out-of-school care and let working families find other solutions. Commissioners could bring back a levy rate of 17 cents to voters, which nets about $378,000 in levy revenue. In that example, an owner of a million dollar property saves about $200 per year and $16 per month. After-school care at the school? Gone. Opportunities for all ages recreation? Hardly.

With the district already formed, the cost of another election – estimated at $45,000 by our County Elections Manager – would fall on Lopez Rec. Where will that money come from? Donations? Or wait until the November election, which offers lower ballot costs but means delaying funding a full year? And who will facilitate voter outreach? Elected commissioners can vote to put a levy on a ballot, but they can’t fundraise and they can’t engage in promotional activities.

To wrap it up, the bottom line is this: the levy is essential for ensuring Lopez Rec can start strong and keep running. Without the funding from the levy, programs like school sports, out-of-school care, and community activities struggle or disappear. And if that lifeline of funding is further delayed for the school, I’m deeply worried about its future. While we could try to make things work with less money, it would mean cutting out a lot of what we’re trying to build – and the community would miss out.

If the levy doesn’t pass, it also means more delays and added costs to hold another election. And that’s money we’d have to come up with somehow, scrambling for donations and volunteer hours, and further delaying funding.

If you believe in keeping school programs strong and ensuring working families have reliable care, voting yes on this levy is the answer. It’s the solution available now, and it ensures Lopez Rec can keep growing and serving the community in the long run. Let’s make it happen!