Metro parks district subject of county meeting

While the City of Olympia debates the merit of creating a city-wide Metropolitan Parks District, Thurston County Commissioners have called for a county-wide parks district.

To that end, they have invited elected officials from around the county to a meeting on Tuesday, June 30 to discuss the idea.

Changes in state law have made it easier to form metro parks districts and several dozen cities and counties have done so in the last few years.   A parks district allows it to collect additional property taxes for the purpose of supporting parks, buying new park land, improving parks and maintenance and operations of parks.

Thurston County Commissioners are considering action to place a Metropolitan Parks District on the fall ballot.   The money to be used for regional parks such as purchase and restoration of the old Olympia Brewhouse, development of the isthmus park in downtown Olympia or buying the LBA Woods for a park  – – among other regional park ideas.

Local elected officials are invited to a conversation on the issue beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Bldg 1 Rm 280 of the Thurston County Courthouse on Tuesday.

I suspect that private citizens can also attend.