This version corrects the story to say that the commissioners voted down a measure to increase user fees; they did not vote on a budget, as previously indicated, but are expected to do so on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

The Vashon Park District commissioners are expected to vote on a $1.2 million budget next week before immediately swearing in the newly-elected commissioners, who will begin the work of planning for next year and beyond.

Outgoing commissioner Bill Ameling suggested this course of action last week, after the commissioners voted 3-2 against a measure that would have raised fees for several users of district facilities by 4 percent. Ameling recommended that the current board fulfill its obligation by passing a budget — without fee increases —  saying he believes it should be the new board that takes up the possibility of raising fees, calling the issue a “touchy subject” that requires further conversation.

“Let the new board talk to the public. Let the new board do their homework,” he said at the meeting.

Scott Harvey and Doug Ostrom voted in favor of the measure to raise fees, while Ameling, Joe Wald and Lu-Ann Branch, who attended the meeting via phone from out of state and cast the deciding vote, were opposed.

In a follow-up phone call, Branch noted that many park district users pushed back last year against raising fees, a measure that Harvey championed. She added that before she would feel comfortable doing so, she wanted to review the budget numbers and evaluate the issue more thoroughly.

“I do not think you make these kinds of determinations in a vacuum,” she said. “ I want to talk with user groups and get input from my colleagues.”

Executive Director Elaine Ott characterized the expected $1.2 million spending plan as lean, with no significant projects on the horizon for 2016. The budget is constrained because of the high cost of the most recent work at the VES Fields, which totalled approximately $400,000, much higher than the $159,000 the board budgeted for that phase of the project.

At nearly $1,223,000, the 2016 spending plan is up more than $100,000 from this year’s budget because of an anticipated increase in levy funds, thanks to the improving economy.

As in years past, maintenance is slated for the largest allocation, at $482,000, up from $396,000 this year. The increase accounts for leasing to buy a new $35,000 tractor and purchasing a $5,000 paint sprayer, Ott said. Additionally, the budget provides for another full-time maintenance worker, giving maintenance manager Jason Acosta four full time staff and freeing him up to help Ott with management tasks.

Administration will receive $311,000, up from this year’s $295,000. Next year’s figure includes $30,000 to hire a consultant who will assist with a community-wide survey as part of the strategic plan the district intends to begin in the summer.

The Vashon Pool is also marked for increased funds, with more than $100,000  being proposed, including $57,000 for its operating budget and $50,000 for capital expenses. This increase is dramatic compared with recent years. The 2015 budget called for $46,000 for the pool, and the 2014 budget $25,000.

The operations increase accounts for higher costs related to pool manager Scott Bonney, who voluntarily took a pay cut during the district’s hardest financial years. He now works year-round, and his pay is being reinstated to meet industry standards, Ott said. The pool allocation also calls for $24,000 for urgent pool repairs and an engineering analysis that will provide a report about the condition of the pool facilities, a list of additional needed repairs and cost estimates to complete them.

The district’s debt picture is improving, as last month it paid off a four-year, $400,000 non-voter approved bond for the VES Fields, Ott said. The 2015 budget allocated $153,000 for paying down the district’s debt, and next year that number is down considerably, to $57,000.

Still, the district will have to borrow money next year, Ott noted, likely $100,000 in July, which she intends to pay off in October. The district is expected to end 2016 with $78,000, insufficient to carry it through until April of the following year, when it receives its tax money, so further borrowing in 2017 is also likely, she said.

Looking ahead, Ott noted she would like the district to begin to plan more strategically and set aside a $300,000 fund that could go to capital projects or be used as a cash-flow management tool.

She also said she and her staff have begun work to prepare for the strategic plan and obtain accreditation for the park district through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).

The certification is a mark of quality, Ott said, noting she is working on the financial management piece now, likening it to putting the district’s house in order.

“We have a lot of good policies, but it is clear how much more we need,” she said.

The board will meet next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Ober Park.