Support for Columbia County Parks & Rec Levy

Letter to the Editor:

In contrast to many partisan issues in the November election, the levy to fund our new Columbia County Parks & Recreation District is a non-partisan item that deserves our votes. We voters enthusiastically approved establishing the District in 2023, but the District is unfunded until a levy is approved in the upcoming November election.

Using levy funds, the District would pursue private and governmental grant funds for pool construction. Those who grant construction funds expect this community via the District to create engineering plans, site approvals, and plans for pool maintenance and management. The levy tax funds would pay the consulting and engineering fees, legal services and other expenses required in order to win construction grants.

This special P&R District levy would be separate funding that would not dilute funds for other county services such as hospital, fire, port, etc. It would need to be approved annually.

Since the local pool was condemned six years ago, most local kids are not learning to swim, and the community misses the many uses a local pool provides. Drowning is a leading cause of death for kids, so let’s keep that from happening! Let’s approve the levy requested for November for 20 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation.

Fred Crowe

Dayton, Wash.