Aquatics center may be on the way
TRI-CITIES, Wash. - It's hard to imagine in January, but more waterslides and pools could be coming to the Tri-Cities. The issue, will you pay for it?
It will be a ballot measure this fall looking to raise to local sales tax.
Analysts think it would raise $35 million dollars to bring an aquatic center to the Tri-Cities.
Randy Willis is member of the Tri-Cities Regional Aquatic Task Force. He said, "It certainly isn't as important to some politicians as it is to the general public."
It's why Randy Willis has been pushing for this project for more than a decade. He's the last original member of the task force.
That group has raised more than $20 thousand dollars to pay for the design and concept.
"Once people can see something and picture it in their minds and they have a picture, then they have something to talk about and they have something to dream about," he said.
Randy hopes your dreams will translate to dollars through a tenth of a cent tax increase.
The current plans for the aquatic center are at least seven years old. Technology and prices have changed over the years so of course those plans are going to change. That will be easier to do now that a possible location has been identified and a budget attached to the project.
Getting that location has been the issue. A chunk of land off Sandifur in Pasco may be home to the center. Right off the interstate, it's got the space to attract large crowds.
Folks we talked to are all for the project.
Joe Sterba expects he'd take his grand kids to the center.
He fondly remembers a waterpark in Kennewick in the 80's.
"I'm sure they'd come and play and I'd be there, Papa Joe, party time," he said.
Randy is hopeful the tax increase will pass. He's planning to raise $40 thousand dollars to help with election costs.
He said, "I think our goal is to get out and get in neighborhoods and talk to people."
Trying to rally the troops now that the longtime dream may be a striking reality.
The regional public facilities board will decide next month when to put the measure in front of voters.
It could come either in August or November.
It will be a ballot measure this fall looking to raise to local sales tax.
Analysts think it would raise $35 million dollars to bring an aquatic center to the Tri-Cities.
Randy Willis is member of the Tri-Cities Regional Aquatic Task Force. He said, "It certainly isn't as important to some politicians as it is to the general public."
It's why Randy Willis has been pushing for this project for more than a decade. He's the last original member of the task force.
That group has raised more than $20 thousand dollars to pay for the design and concept.
"Once people can see something and picture it in their minds and they have a picture, then they have something to talk about and they have something to dream about," he said.
Randy hopes your dreams will translate to dollars through a tenth of a cent tax increase.
The current plans for the aquatic center are at least seven years old. Technology and prices have changed over the years so of course those plans are going to change. That will be easier to do now that a possible location has been identified and a budget attached to the project.
Getting that location has been the issue. A chunk of land off Sandifur in Pasco may be home to the center. Right off the interstate, it's got the space to attract large crowds.
Folks we talked to are all for the project.
Joe Sterba expects he'd take his grand kids to the center.
He fondly remembers a waterpark in Kennewick in the 80's.
"I'm sure they'd come and play and I'd be there, Papa Joe, party time," he said.
Randy is hopeful the tax increase will pass. He's planning to raise $40 thousand dollars to help with election costs.
He said, "I think our goal is to get out and get in neighborhoods and talk to people."
Trying to rally the troops now that the longtime dream may be a striking reality.
The regional public facilities board will decide next month when to put the measure in front of voters.
It could come either in August or November.
Every time I hear this aquatic center discussed, the real elephant quieting lurking in the room are the businesses that stand to benefit from it. If I were to rank the real priorities that such a facility would target it would be for the best interests of .....
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1. Businesses
2) Tourism
3) Local special interests, i.e. swim clubs, water polo enthusiasts, etc.
4) Then lastly..... the COMMUNITY AT LARGE, the Mom & Pop tax payers!.
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Yet it's the LAST GROUP, you and I, that gets tagged for funding it! With all the talk in this area about 'free enterprise', small government, etc. it's the public trough that always has to cough up the needed $$$$ through higher TAXES. C'mon Tea Partyers and Paul-ites raise your voices!
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If such an endeavor looked so promising, let the small government champions, private sector, 'free market' proponents PAY FOR IT! But that doesn't seem to happen. We have numerous examples locally of publicly-funded facilities that are LOOSING $$$$. Yet . we never learn. What happened to all those PRIVATE VENTURES we heard so much about last year?
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Now PASCO, who could most likely benefit from it demographically, appears to be the most aggressive in pushing this PFD proposal since they bit the bullet and purchased the land for such an facility. Now they're pushing for it along with all the other pro-business types on the board.
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Really, the question you have to ask is how is the average citizen of this region, going to benefit from an aquatic center. Really. And they'll probably charge the taxpayers that funded it, the same darn admission price as the tourists, visiting sport teams, vacationers, etc. Maybe there's a semi-professional, indoor water polo team out there, that could turn this facility into a money machine and bring in all the fans to fill the restaurants, hotels, retail shops, etc. You know, like the Fever and Ams.. brings to Kennewick.
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What's that .. the Kennewick owned Toyota Center that hosts the Fever and Ams is still loosing money? That can't be ..... can it ????