The Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2) will not collect taxes in 2024 after missing the filing deadline for its six-year levy renewal to appear on the November general election ballot. BBBPRD2 commissioners learned of the missed deadline at their regular August meeting, according to a BBBPRD2 press release.
The release states that reserve funds, which are made up of savings for times of financial uncertainty and excess funds from Covid-19, will supplement the tax levy revenue. Blaine residents have paid 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value for the last six years in accordance with the most recent tax levy.
Multiple factors resulted in the missed deadline, BBBPRD2 staff director Heather Lindsay said, including employee turnover during the pandemic.
"With the changes in staff, some things fall through," she said. "It was one thing that got missed on the deadline, so we're pivoting and keeping the program going."
Despite the setback, Lindsay said there are no plans to cut back on programming availability, cost or staff positions. She added that BBBPRD2 expects reserve funds, which totaled $563,600 as of July, to last beyond April 1, 2025, when the levy – if passed – would go into effect. The projected operating cost for 2024 is $311,000.
"The district is here for the communities," Lindsay said. "We've been trying to meet the needs and wants of the community, and we're going to continue doing that."
This summer, BBBPRD2 expanded program offerings, which was part of implementing feedback from last year's community survey, Lindsay said, adding that she expects to see that momentum continue into the coming seasons.
The version of the levy renewal request now set for 2024 is not final, but Lindsay said she does not anticipate any changes from the levy passed in 2017.
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