The Redmond City Council proposed to our City Council that they join and create a new taxing district to build a swimming pool. The details are in this Sammamish Review article.

Let’s see: new taxes for a park district. May Don Gerend wants to increase the Real Estate Excise Tax by one-quarter percent; and the City will likely need to impose a utility tax to either balance the budget in a few years or pay for its contribution to the Town Center infrastructure.

Here’s an idea: why not have the Lake Washington and Issaquah School districts and the Eastside Catholic High School contribute to the capital costs and on-going maintenance of a pool? Their students need an Olympic size pool for swim team competition. They now have to rent facilities outside the city and drive to get there.

We all know that a pool alone requires subsidies. A pool needs to be part of an integrated recreation center to pay its own way. A non-profit organization in Pt. Townsend has the right idea. It also has a feasibility study.

Our city needs an integrated rec center with swimming pool. It doesn’t need to be half way to Redmond. And we don’t need yet another taxing district.