Prop. 1 is constitutional, but not the way to go | Letter

I am a parent with two children in LWSD [Lake Washington School District] and actively involved in the school system. I am also an attorney and have researched the laws related to the Prop. 1 issues. I believe in the public being fully informed about all the potential implications of voting for or against a proposition.

I am a parent with two children in LWSD [Lake Washington School District] and actively involved in the school system. I am also an attorney and have researched the laws related to the Prop. 1 issues. I believe in the public being fully informed about all the potential implications of voting for or against a proposition.

I understand your frustration and disappointment with the failure of the two school bonds measures in 2014. I too am frustrated that our community was not willing to spend the money to build schools to ensure all of our students receive a basic education. However, I hope that you, like I, can keep the issues separate and not allow your emotions to get in the way.

My letter last week never asserted that Prop. 1 is unconstitutional or that the MPD [Metropolitan Park District] is an unconstitutional method of raising local taxes. There is, in fact, nothing unconstitutional or illegal about Prop. 1 or the methodology. What I said was that by convincing only a simple majority of residents to create a metropolitan parks district, the city will have a permanent revenue source against which they can issue bonds for any parks and recreation related project without having to submit a bond measure to voters. Without an already established revenue source, the city would have to obtain 60 percent approval on a bond measure to levy a new tax for such projects.

The Kirkland City Council chose not to submit to the voters the simple question of whether or not to build a public pool. Instead they chose to ask voters to create a new permanent government taxing district. Under state law, the MPD will have the authority to levy a tax of up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for any parks and recreation related project – not just the proposed ARC [Aquatics, Recreation and Community Center] – without putting it to a vote of the citizens. The draft interlocal agreement provides for an advisory vote in some situations. However, the MPD retains ultimate authority regardless of any advisory vote.

A vote against Prop. 1 is a vote against creating a new government taxing district, not against using a reasonable bond to build a reasonable pool.

Nicole MacKenzie, Kirkland