A Letter From Lary and Jan on McWoods Interlocal Agreement
September 2nd, 2008 by Chris HenryWarning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/psblogs/public_html/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
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The City of Port Orchard and Kitsap County have agreed to draft an inter-local agreement regarding the proposed annexation of McCormick Woods into the city.
The city is hammering out a document outlining a proposed process for the transfer of revenue and responsibilities between the two entities, should the annexation be approved by McCormick Woods residents. The goal is to have the agreement signed by the end of October.
Members of the McCormick Woods annexation committee say it’s high time. They say firming up agreements between the county and city on revenue, transportation, parks, storm water and provision of urban services will help them answer questions from McCormick Woods residents on the potential impact of annexation as they go door-to-door seeking signatures of approval for the proposal.
“It’s activity in the right direction,” said committee member Dick Davis. “I certainly hope it takes on a pace that everyone can be happy with.”
In a letter to the McCormick Woods Annexation Committee released today, South Kitsap Commissioner Jan Angel and Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola pledged, “County and city are committed to the expedient discussion of key items to the McCormick area and will maintain lines of communication between our jurisdictions and the McCormick community.”
The Kitsap Sun will run a story tomorrow on the latest developments regarding annexation. You can read the letter here.
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Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
This is great news. Win-Win for citizens.
Thank you Jan and Lary for your bi-partisan efforts. And thank you, Dick Davis, for all you do behind the scenes to make our community a better place to live and raise our families.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:59 pm
As a citizen in rural South Kitsap I wonder how much of a “win-win” this is for my neighbors and me. Unincorporated Kitsap County taxes will need to rise to make up for the loss of taxes that McCormick Woods would have paid. The Counties loss of revenue would be eventually divided up amongst the unincorporated taxpayers. The City of Port Orchard and the County commissioners may make a deal, but the bottom line is at some point the County must make up its lost income. If you add in the SKIA annexation that Bremerton wants and the Port of Bremerton supports then it does not look good for the rural home owner. I wonder how that would affect the chances of any bonds or levies for school, parks, libraries, etc to pass. Oh, right, with the new change of a 50% requirement for school levies the greater population in the City would override any ‘No’ vote by the rural taxpayer.
Roger Gay
South Kitsap
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Roger,
The school district boundaries haven’t changed. Annexation changes nothing in local school levy elections. Whether a voter is in the city or the county, a vote is a vote.
Am I somehow missing your point on that?
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm
“County and city are committed to the expedient discussion of key items….”
Are “expedient” and “expeditious” synonymous? I didn’t look it up when Angel’s Aug. 21 letter said the issues “are being discussed in an expedient manner,” but this time I did. I don’t think they are synonyms, and I think I would prefer that the discussion be expeditious.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
The school boundaries do not change. What changes is how much money the County takes in from various sources. With the loss of revenue that will affect the County coffers when the SKIA and McCormick Woods is annexed into Bremerton or Port Orchard the County will need to make that up that loss at some point. It will be left to the taxpayers of unincorporated areas of Kitsap County to make up the difference. If their reaction to the 150% tax increase by the Port of Bremerton is any indication it will be very difficult to pass any increase in tax whether it be for schools, library’s, South Kitsap Fire District or the Bethel Corridor projects. Maybe our County Commissioners can explain how the financial situation will turn out, but I do not expect good news for rural residents. I doubt the County will cutback enough to make up the eventual income losses.
Roger Gay
South Kitsap
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying.
While the county will lose some tax base, it also loses some service area. So, for example, annexed homes and businesses will find Port Orchard Police responding to their calls instead of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. That saves the county money or increases response time (if officer numbers are kept the same).
It will be interesting to observe how the numbers work out for both jurisdictions.
I certainly agree that things won’t be easy for any jurisdiction in our area passing a tax request.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
September 4th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Kathryn, thank you for your kind words and for your reasoned and factual responses to Mr. Gay’s post. Your are correct when you say that our residents have been, are now and will in the future be residents within the boundary’s of the South Kitsap School District.
I’ve been involved with the McCormick Woods Annexation Committee since its inception in October of 2007, and in the interum we have learned a lot. We have had discussions concerning the financial impact of annexation on the County and recognize that some citizens may feel that impact.
Our obligation however is to investigate and report to our residents on our findings concerning annexation and to recommend what might be the best path for our residents to follow. It has become obvious to most of us that the best option for preserving our community as we know it is annexation.
I don’t know where Mr Gay resides or what loss of services he might be facing but I would suggest he work with his community to see if annexation is an option for them.
I would also suggest he work with the County to try to determine what life might look like should The Woods and SKIA annexations become reality and the possible incorporation of Silverdale comes to life.
Change is hard. Change is inevitable. We all have an obligation to do everything we can to direct that change to the benefit of our own community and that is what the McCormick Woods Annexation Committee intends to do.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I guess it is a them and us mind set. How will it benefit our own community is the what someone says when it will be detrimental to someone else. I have talked to our County Commissioners and one fully expects the costs to the unincorporated taxpayers in the County will continue to rise as more and more land will be annexed in the future. Living as I do near the Mason and Pierce County borders the odds of being annexed are very small. Quite a few residents of rural Kitsap do not live in a planned community. Something to do with restrictive covenants and homes within elbow distance. It was and is our choice as it is for others to demand being annexed. It will be interesting to see if the Port Orchard Police and Bremerton Police service their respective areas. It will be even more interesting to see how fire service is divided up. Will our South Kitsap Fire District taxes be used to support Bremerton property owners? Maybe that is why all the merger talk between fire districts has been surfacing. The rural taxpayer did lose some when South merged with Port Orchard fire a few years ago. Yes, change is hard, change is inevitable, but I guess instead of looking at my community being Kitsap County I should just worry about my very local area. Since other communities seem more intent on what best for them or whats in it for them, I must make my vote on any levies, bonds, funding requests, etc. go for what is best for me and the few blocks around, not the other communities or the County. It is to bad that unincorporated voters and taxpayers do not get a say in what happens, we just get the bill later with apologies from the County Commissioners.
Roger Gay
South Kitsap