Olympia parks district would kill regional parks district

The City of Olympia has a proposal on the current ballot to create a Metropolitan Park District.   That would allow the city to collect up to 75 cents per thousand of assessed valuation to provide ongoing funding, to acquire, maintain, operate and improve parks.

Thurston County Commissioners have been touting the idea of a countywide parks district for the same purpose except countywide. .

The concern about a countywide parks district is where the distribution of money would end up.   Would it go to buying parkland in Olympia like the LBA Woods – which only local Olympia residents would use – – or would it go towards improving Percival Landing which is a regional attraction.    Would it go for tearing down the Capitol Center Building or would it go towards additional improvements at the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) which is used by most sports teams in Thurston County?

Approval by the voters of an Olympia only metropolitan parks district would kill any idea of a countywide parks district.

Perhaps that’s a good idea.