After years of hard work and penny-pinching, Vashon Park District (VPD) is on solid financial footing. It has paid off past debt and has stayed on budget for the past several years. Further, while performing budgetary belt tightening, the park district has accomplished some major improvements to our recreation on the island, implementing a year-round public pool and regrading the Agren athletic field. These improvements were accomplished by VPD obtaining over $350,000 in grant funds and by leveraging major volunteer efforts. In fact, enthusiastic volunteers raised funds to install lights at the VES fields. The state auditor agrees that VPD is in good fiscal shape, and the Vashon Park District is now in a position to move forward in good financial standing.

What does “move forward” actually mean to us as island residents? It means that we can now, with the passage of Proposition 1 on April 23rd, work on deferred maintenance of some of our most precious places and resources. This levy money over the next four years will allow us to complete essential infrastructure projects and critical maintenance to these and other properties: Agren Park and BARC fields, Lisabeula and Agren parking lots, major work on the Belle Baldwin house, the Inspiration Point wall and Point Robinson. It will allow installation of restrooms at all our parks (something we all agree we need), and it will allow us to work on invasive species remediation throughout the district. It will also allow continued use of our year-round pool under the dome.

Simply said, the parks need your continued support. The island’s many and varied parks provide a playground for all of us. Without this four-year levy, we cannot sustain and maintain what we already have. The levy is the only money the Vashon Park District will receive for ongoing operations and maintenance.

It is important to move forward now. VPD had to defer maintenance over the years in order to get the fiscal house in order, but delaying any further will result in safety issues, more damage to our buildings and parks, and it will make the job bigger and more expensive in the long run.

Thousands of youth use the parks and fields year round. It’s good for the growth and development of our students, as well as adding support to the sports teams, their families and supporters who enjoy the games. Senior citizens use the parks for exercise and fitness. This levy will allow more programming for seniors. Music festivals and outdoor plays fill the parks, too, bringing families together in a safe and well-kept environment. The pool supports the recreation of lap swimmers, the swim team, families and children learning to swim. The benefits are there for all of us. This levy is essential to support these activities and keep up precious open spaces.

The four-year levy renewal represents an increase of 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or only about $5 per month for the average Vashon home. Yet the money will have great impact on our community, ensuring that we can continue to enjoy the recreational opportunities this beautiful island offers.

Your ballot arrives April 3. The deadline for voting is April 23. Please vote yes on Proposition 1. The future of the Vashon Park District depends on your vote.

— Mike O’Connor is a retired engineer who has been involved in volunteer efforts to upgrade the pool and install the pool dome. With his wife and son, his family enjoys many of the recreational opportunities that Vashon has to offer.