Invest in our community and our residents

[Fun CH]

...
Anyone with low income needs every penny to live.

Why do you and many others think taking money from the poor to fund your pleasure swim and a place to hang out is good and moral ideal?

From a practical standpoint, this is an argument against any kind of government spending at all, or more specifically any kind of government spending that the person making the argument doesn't agree with.

I voted against the Pool proposal. I'd probably vote for a more coherent proposal with adult supervision.

Well you could not make that argument for government spending on programs that help the poor such as food stamps. I did qualify my statement for taxes taken the poor that go to fund others 'pleasure swim'.

I think most of us who will vote against the formation of a very powerful Metropolitan Park District support either rehabbing the Wagner pool or building a pool under a voter controlled recreational District such as Tonasket did with a .13 cents per thousand Levy. I would include tax paybacks to low income people.

And since there's so much confusion concerning the senior and disabled property tax exemption program among some individuals in this community, here are the three tiers and what taxes seniors are exempt from paying.

Note that a MPD levy is a regular Levy. If 60% of Voters approve to raise that "regular" Levy cap of 75 cents per thousand that extra amount over the cap is considered an excess levy.

"Property tax levies eligible for exemption

There are three levels of exemption depending on your final calculated combined disposable income.

• Level 3 - You are exempt from paying excess levies and Part 2 of the state school levy. Generally speaking, excess levies are the voter-approved levies.

• Level 2 - You are exempt from paying excess levies,
Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies on $50,000 or 35% of the assessed taxable value,
whichever is greater.

• Level 1 - You are exempt from paying excess levies,
Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies on $60,000 or 60% of the assessed taxable value,
whichever is greater."

As you can see Tristan, not all of property taxes are exempt under this program. Those taxes are only reduced.

Assessed values keep going up.The assessed value on my home was raised around $100,000 this year alone and that's on top of $100,000 value raise last time.

And we know the Metropolitan Park District will need the max levy rate to fund their $21,000,000+ dream mega spa plus $500,000-$750,000 per year to service the interest and principe on bond debt, for maintenance, to pay Mega Spa employees, salaries for the 5 board commissioners (most likely current FOP board members), and Civil Service pensions.

Any way you figure it, it's a big ask for a rural community that WILL need tax money for future essential services such as fire equipment and related facilities, school, roads and medical care.

[mister_coffee]

...
Anyone with low income needs every penny to live.

Why do you and many others think taking money from the poor to fund your pleasure swim and a place to hang out is good and moral ideal?

From a practical standpoint, this is an argument against any kind of government spending at all, or more specifically any kind of government spending that the person making the argument doesn't agree with.

I voted against the Pool proposal. I'd probably vote for a more coherent proposal with adult supervision.

[Fun CH]

Tristan, You have to realise that the senior citizens who are on this program, do pay still pay taxes. They know they do. Did you even call the country Assessor's Office to know for sure?

As explained before, and if you read the laws I provided, any taxes owned after the senior property tax exemption reduction can be deferred until such time that that property is sold or the senior dies.

At that time, thoses deferred taxes are payable to the State with interest which is calculated at the Federal rate plus 2%. Currently that interest would be 7.25 to 7.5%. Perhaps your senior friends choose that option?

Anyone with low income needs every penny to live.

Why do you and many others think taking money from the poor to fund your pleasure swim and a place to hang out is good and moral ideal?

Also consider that the FOP, if it is allowed to form the most powerful, non voter controlled recreation district (out of three district type chooses) will have money for future related recreation projects.

So they will fix up the Wagner pool (existing facility in their wording), build this Mega spa next to the ice rink in Winthrop where most of the tourist infrastructure exists, and then build a climbing wall facility out in Mazama (related facility in their wording) and what ever else they choose to build without voter input and we pay, and pay as our own needs suffer.

They will claim "its for the kids", when its really to support the commercial tourism industry here.

You've lived long here enough to know that this community has always resisted this type of commercial development all built by outside corperations. If allowed, we know that McDonald's is not far behind.

[pasayten]

No "ignorance" here Tristan... I have many senior friends on limited income that will not qualify for an exemption from this tax burden... End of story...

[PAL]

Tristan there is no doubt that it is a good deal, for those that can take advantage of it. I don't think the majority of seniors can. Our household doesn't qualify. We have looked into it.
Thanks for calling me ignorant.

[tristanbgilb]

The senior tax exemption is a good deal for older people and disabled homeowners. I have friends who I told about this exemption, who are not veterans and pay no taxes at all on their homes. This is not a debatable issue. It is a good deal and only a fool would not file for this. I think I am done trying to explain this to the ignorant who will not wake up to this point who take me for blindly cannot see the truth in my words.

[PAL]

Good points Chris about the senior tax exemption and how FOP is making it sound like we can all go and apply. I had sort of forgotten that they are using this ploy. Thanks for the reminder. I think more seniors don't qualify than do.

More letters in the paper. The word minutiae is used again. Discussing our property taxes increasing and having an indoor aquatics taxing district is not minutiae. Which means the small or unimportant details. Oh yeah?

[Fun CH]

Having a luxery pool will not keep the kids off drugs or the druggies from being here.. Nope. If law enforcement could, they would, but they have hurdles to get through before they can bust someone. I talked to Budrow about this. But now there is no law enforcement to speak of in the Valley. So drug use will increase, since they know there is even not a presence.
Voting for the Prop 1 is going to burden future generations that may want to live here, if they can afford it. Isn't that a sad state of affairs.
SOulman I liked your response about quibbling over who qualifies or not for a tax exemption. That is not the point as you say.
A person can learn to swim in one season, swimming in an outdoor pool. I learned to swim in a lake, as we lived quite close by and that is ome of the first things my mom taught me when we moved there. I haven't really swam in years, but guess what, I still know the strokes. Granted I am out of shape for swimming, but if in trouble I know how to get on my back and float.
Gotta think about the future of the kids and il if they want to be burdened forever with this tax. And that is if they even stay here.

there are lots of reasons this very expensive mega spa is wrong for any rural community. However the FOP has made an issue out of the senior property tax exemption by implying seniors are not impacted by the mega spa tax because of that program.

There is a lot of confusion about this issue and one of the points in the OP was that the mega spa won't hurt seniors who are on that tax program. So we're really not "quibbling" just discussing the OP and trying to clear up the confussion.

That law should be called the senior and disabled property tax reduction, not exemption, program.

Unfortunately the FOP took full advantage of that program's ambiguous title and tried to use it as a selling point. It worked as evidenced by Marisa's letter and this thread.

But SOulman is correct, and we've already discussed this issue on this forum. This proposed mega tax will hurt everyone who is trying to make ends meet, including as you say, Pearl, a burden for future generations.

A very good point.

[PAL]

Having a luxery pool will not keep the kids off drugs or the druggies from being here.. Nope. If law enforcement could, they would, but they have hurdles to get through before they can bust someone. I talked to Budrow about this. But now there is no law enforcement to speak of in the Valley. So drug use will increase, since they know there is even not a presence.
Voting for the Prop 1 is going to burden future generations that may want to live here, if they can afford it. Isn't that a sad state of affairs.
SOulman I liked your response about quibbling over who qualifies or not for a tax exemption. That is not the point as you say.
A person can learn to swim in one season, swimming in an outdoor pool. I learned to swim in a lake, as we lived quite close by and that is ome of the first things my mom taught me when we moved there. I haven't really swam in years, but guess what, I still know the strokes. Granted I am out of shape for swimming, but if in trouble I know how to get on my back and float.
Gotta think about the future of the kids and il if they want to be burdened forever with this tax. And that is if they even stay here.

[Fun CH]

The senior and disabled property tax exemption has likely saved me over $30000 in property tax over the last 20 years. I didn't pay any tax at all on my Twisp River Cabin until I moved into my house in town.

most likely you were on the veterans disability program where the State pays those property taxes and is different then the seniors & disabled property tax exemption program, which only reduces property taxes. With assessed values continuously rising for those on low and fixed income, that luxury tax is a burden

All of this tax law can be quite confusing.

Would you like me to get a letter from Assessor's Office with some examples how much money seniors on that program would pay at the three different income cap levels?

Point is that this is still a luxury tax and not everyone can afford it as SOulman points out.

Proposition 1 imposes a significant tax burden on the entire community. Some will say "no big deal, I'll kick in a couple hundred a year." Others will say "I can't go there, I can't make ends meet as it is."

[SOulman]

Arguing about the details of the tax exemption/deferral program completely misses the point about Proposition 1.

Proposition 1 imposes a significant tax burden on the entire community. Some will say "no big deal, I'll kick in a couple hundred a year." Others will say "I can't go there, I can't make ends meet as it is."

A critical consideration is that we are not talking about an essential public service like health care, affordable housing, emergency response. We are talking about swimming when it might be cold. Swimming as a basic life skill can be learned in a short time during warm weather. It is like riding a bicycle, once learned you don't forget.

Swimming in a climate-controlled environment during the winter simply is a luxury. It is entirely fair for people to assert that it not something they want to pay for. It is reasonable for people to assert, more broadly, that it is not something the community should pay for.

[tristanbgilb]

The senior and disabled property tax exemption has likely saved me over $30000 in property tax over the last 20 years. I didn't pay any tax at all on my Twisp River Cabin until I moved into my house in town. With my house in town, I still didn't have any tax at all on the house lot saving me $2000 each year. The $150 tax I spent on my adjoining lot in town seems to be a great deal. It can in fact be a total tax exemption for those that qualify. Later, when my family's income went up, our taxes went up, but the tax break is still quite significant. Only this year we lost our exemption and I feel the pain as my house payment has increased over $200 each month. We missed the $40000 cutoff for our taxable income by about $10000. If my wife makes less money in the following years, I would not hesitate to file for the exemption again.

[Fun CH]

Here is the tax deferral law for low-income people. There are also tax assist programs for disabled veterans.

Chapter 84.37 RCW
PROPERTY TAX DEFERRAL PROGRAM

The interest accrued on that deferred tax is the Federal rate plus 2%. So currently( if I looked it up correctly) that would be around 7.25% to 7.5%, including the added 2%, interest on deferred taxes plus the deferred tax amount.

Seniors who are on the senior exemption program still have to pay taxes on regular levys, they're just reduced according to a three tiered income level cap. The MPD taxes are regular levys, not excess levys unless 60% of the voters in the district vote to raise the regular levy cap which is currently set at .75 per thousand of assessed value. Any voter approved Levy amount over that $.75 per thousand cap is considered an excess Levy.

The money that low-income people, including seniors, have earned or saved helps determine the quality of their health and life. The amount of money that they have available for assisted living or nursing care determines the quality of that care.

That issue can't be separated from the desire to build a mega spa for someone else's pleasure because the mega spa takes tax money from low income seniors.

This proposed MPD regular tax levy is regressive tax that hurts low income people.

Taking money from low income people and seniors to fund another's group's pleasure or to help relieve their winter boredom is just WRONG.

Please inform how the ideal of money for pleasure over senior quality of care is right.

Once again, the senior property tax exemption program only reduces taxes, it does not completely eliminate them.

[tristanbgilb]

I am always amazed when I find a friend of mine living on social security and missing out on the benefits of this tax exemption. It is a good deal with no bad side to it other than you have to be low income to use this program and old or disabled.
This program is not tax deferment at all. It is tax exemption.

I realize that the government likes to force people in nursing homes to lose their house to cover medical expenses. That is a totally different issue.

Washington state has two property tax relief programs for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
This brochure provides information for the property tax exemption program. For information about
the property tax deferral program, see the Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens and People with
Disabilities brochure.
Overview
The property tax exemption program benefits you in two ways. First, it reduces the amount of property
taxes you are responsible for paying. You will not pay excess levies or Part 2 of the state school
levy. In addition, depending on your income, you may not need to pay a portion of the regular levies.
Second, it freezes the taxable value of the residence the first year you qualify. This means that the
levies you pay will be based on the frozen value not the market value.
The property tax exemption program is based on a rolling two-year cycle. Year one is the assessment
year. Year two is the following year and is called the tax year. As examples, 2019 is the assessment
year and 2020 is the tax year. 2020 is the assessment year and 2021 is the tax year. An applicant
must meet all qualifications in the assessment year to receive property tax relief in the tax year.
Qualifications
The exemption program qualifications are based off of age or disability, ownership, occupancy, and
income. Details of each qualification follows.
Age or disability
By December 31 of the assessment year, you must be any of the following:
• At least 61 years of age.
• At least 57 years of age and the surviving spouse or domestic partner of a person who was
an exemption participant at the time of their death.
• Unable to work because of a disability.
• A disabled veteran with a service-connected evaluation of at least 80% or receiving
compensation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs at the 100% rate for a
service-connected disability.
Property Tax Exemption for Senior
Citizens and People with Disabilities
2
Ownership
You must own your home by December 31 of the assessment year. Qualifying types of ownership
are in fee, as a life estate (including a lease for life), or by contract purchase. If you own a share in
a cooperative housing association or if a government entity owns your residence and/or land, it may
also qualify. The exemption is limited to the residence and one acre of land. Certain zoning or landuse regulations may allow additional acreage.
A home jointly owned by a married couple, registered domestic partners, or co-tenants is considered
wholly owned by each joint owner. A co-tenant is a person who has an ownership interest in your
home and lives in the home. Only one joint owner needs to meet the age or disability qualification.
Occupancy
You must occupy your home for more than six months in the assessment year. You may continue
to qualify even if you spend time in a hospital, nursing home, boarding home, adult family home, or
home of a relative. However, a residence used as a vacation home is not eligible.
Income
Your combined disposable income cannot exceed your county’s income threshold which is the greater
of $40,000 or 65% of the county median household income. Find your county’s income threshold at
dor.wa.gov/incomethresholds.
Combined disposable income includes your disposable income plus the disposable income of your
spouse or domestic partner and any co-tenants.
Combined disposable income does not include income of a person who:
• Lives in your home but does not have ownership interest (except for a spouse or domestic
partner). However, you must include any money that person contributes to the household
expenses.
• Does not live in the home but has ownership interest. If another person(s) has ownership
interest, but does not live in the home, only your percentage of interest will qualify for the
exemption.
Calculating disposable income
Disposable income includes income from all sources, even if the income is not taxable for federal
income tax purposes. Some of the most common sources of income include:
• Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits.
• Military pay and benefits.
• Veterans benefits except attendant-care payments, medical-aid payments, veteran’s
disability compensation, and dependency and indemnity compensation.
• Pension receipts. Include distributions from retirement bonds and Keogh plans. Include
only the taxable portion of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA’s).
• Business or rental income. You cannot deduct depreciation.
• Capital gains other than the gain from the sale of your residence that was reinvested in
another residence within one year.
3
• Capital, business, or rental losses cannot be deducted or used to offset gains or other
income.
• Annuity receipts.
• Interest and dividend receipts.
If you have questions about your sources of income, contact your county assessor
Deductions from disposable income
After combining the disposable income of yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and any cotenants, deduct non-reimbursed amounts paid by you or your spouse/domestic partner for:
• Living in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or adult family home.
• Prescription drugs.
• In-home care that is similar to the care you would receive in a nursing home.
◊ In-home care includes:
• Medical treatment.
• Physical therapy.
• Household care.
• Personal care.
◊ Personal care includes assistance with:
• Preparing meals.
• Getting dressed.
• Eating.
• Taking medications.
• Personal hygiene.
• Premiums for Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D.
• Premiums for Medicare supplemental policies (Medigap).
• Durable medical and mobility enhancing equipment.
• Prosthetic devices.
• Medically prescribed oxygen.
• Long-term care insurance.
• Cost-sharing amounts (amounts applied to your health plans out of pocket maximum
amount).
• Medicines of mineral, animal, and botanical origin if prescribed, administered, dispensed,
or used in the treatment of an individual by a naturopath licensed in Washington.
• Ostomic items.
• Insulin for human use.
• Disposable devices used to deliver drugs for human use.
Property tax levies eligible for exemption
There are three levels of exemption depending on your final calculated combined disposable income.
Level 3 - You are exempt from paying excess levies and Part 2 of the state school levy. Generally
speaking, excess levies are the voter-approved levies.
Level 2- You are exempt from paying excess levies, Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies
on $50,000 or 35% of the assessed taxable value, whichever is greater (but not more than $70,000 of
the taxable value).
To ask about the availability of this publication in an alternate format for the
visually impaired, please call 360-705-6705. Teletype (TTY) users may use
the WA Relay Service by calling 711.
Prepared by the CEC Division
11/21 FS0017LP
This material is intended for general information purposes and does not alter or supersede any
administrative regulations or rulings issued by the Department of Revenue.
4
Level 1- You are exempt from paying excess levies, Part 2 of the state school levy, and regular levies
on $60,000 or 60% of the assessed taxable value, whichever is greater.
Applying for the exemption
Your county assessor administers the exemption program and is responsible for determining if you
meet the qualifications. Applications and supporting documents for each qualification are due by
December 31 of the assessment year. The county assessor may accept late applications.
If your county assessor approves your application, they will notify you when it is time to submit
a renewal application. However, if you have a change in your qualifications before a renewal
application, you need to notify your county assessor.
If your county assessor denies your application, they will notify you in writing. You may appeal the
assessor’s decision to the county Board of Equalization. The county Board of Equalization must
receive your appeal by July 1, or within 30 days of when the denial was mailed, whichever date is
later.
Refunds for prior years
If you paid prior years’ taxes because of a mistake, oversight, or a lack of knowledge about this
program, you may be eligible for a refund. You must meet all of the qualifications for the exemption
as if you had applied at the time the application was due. You must submit separate applications for
each of the tax years. In order to receive a refund, you must file the applications within three years of
the date the taxes were due. Refunds will not be made beyond the three year period.
Laws and rules
Revised Code of Washington (RCW Chapter 84.36.379-389—Exemptions (Property Tax).
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 458-16A-100 through 150—Senior Citizen/Disabled
Persons Property, Tax Exemptions.
Questions, more information, request an application
If you have questions regarding the property tax exemption program, application form, or the
application process, contact your local county assessor’s office

[Fun CH]

No it does not. That program reduces taxes. A senior does have the option to defer all taxes that then become a lien on the seniors property payable to the state when the home sells or the senior dies.

So if a senior needs to move into a assisted living or nursing home facility, and they need to sell their home in order to fund that, they then pay those deferred property taxes with interest to the State and are forced to live, or not live on what's left.

What about low income people who are not seniors or who are seniors who do not own a home but are renting. Can they afford the rent increase? Should they have to pay a rent increase just so others can have a hot dip in an indoor pool?

[tristanbgilb]

Property Tax Exemption
Senior Citizen/Disabled Person Tax Exemption Program

You may qualify for an exemption from all or part of your property tax on your residence if you meet the following qualifications:

You are at least 61 years of age or permanently disabled (unable to pursue an occupation).
You own and occupy a house, mobile home or unit of a cooperative housing association.
You and your spouse or co-tenant(s) has a combined gross income (including social security benefits) of $ 40,000 or less.

The exemption varies depending on your income. To obtain an application or have more questions, contact us.

https://www.okanogancounty.org/assessor ... mption.php

The senior/disabled property tax exemption does indeed include the ability to have no property tax at all on a primary dwelling. Even further VA compensation is not counted towards income. Before my wife was working, I indeed was exempt from property tax on my house only paying tax on my rental and second lot that is next to my house here in town.

[Fun CH]

Tristan, That senior property tax exemption only reduces taxes, it does not exempt seniors from paying property taxes. The county assessor's office would be happy to give anyone the facts about that program.

Local seniors have now seen their home assessment values skyrocket lately due to market demand here. A 2,000 sq home with land that cost $125,000 dollars to build with owner sweet equity in 2010, now is valued at $570,000. Some have retirement saving in land that they can no longer sell because no water is available to them and were forced into the State welfare system for lack of money

Please don't make the mistake that seniors and other low-income people don't need every penny that they earn or have saved just to stay healthy. Money is life and death to a low income senior. A cold winter means that they need to find money for heat. A dip in a luxury heated pool is not much of a concern, especially if you have a health condition that prevents you from swimming in a public pool.

A hot summer means they need be able to afford air conditioning and the energy to run it. There is a recent story out of Texas where a married senior couple died when their window air conditioner broke. Did they have $250- $300 to buy a new one for their mobile home? Perhaps not.

Again, taxing people who can ill afford someone else's dream pleasure palace is not an ideal that should be passed down to Future Generations.

[tristanbgilb]

The commissioners of the district would be responsible for setting tax levy rates based on actual operating costs and any debt incurred. The district’s maximum levy of 75 cents per $1,000 assessed property value would equal about $375 per year for a $500,000 home or $525 for a $700,000 home.

I am getting this comment from the Methow Valley News. Doing the Math and understanding my real estate is worth $500,000, I am led to believe this project at the most will be $375/12 months bringing my investment into the aquatic center to be $31.25 per month. I consider this amount to be significant to my wallet but not detrimental.

Senior Property tax exemptions are one way the poor elderly and disabled are able to not be burdened with the high tax rate in the Methow Valley.

I think the days of affordable housing are a thing of the past. Middle class homes in my neighborhood are approaching $400000 and up.

This so-called affordable housing being built in our community seems to take away the benefits of true land ownership. I think the middle class in our community are definitely being priced out of the housing market. I see this trend happening not just in our community but throughout the world. I think to live in the Methow Valley takes sacrifice and creativity for the working class.

I lived on St John Island in the Caribbean for some time. I saw housing market there where landowners had to be millionaires to get into land ownership. I realized coming from there to the Methow Valley that if I didn't take the courage to buy land then, I would live my life in poverty as I get priced out of this beautiful place as a tenant rather than enjoying the benefits of land ownership.

Now we are almost to that point where working-class young people will be renting small spaces as a group rather than having the privilege of a private dwelling. Also, I am seeing houses in my neighborhood with extended families living in them.

I have the legal ability to build a secondary dwelling on my lot here in Twisp. I might choose to do this and rent my primary residence to one of my children if they were to want to make a life here.

I think as the housing crunch continues, we will see more and more ways to live here in a comfortable dwelling due to the creative minds of those that want to make the Methow their home feeling it the destiny of their hearts.

I think an aquatics center is a luxury indeed. For me personally, I might like a break from winter misery and enjoy a pool to break from the awful bitter cold of this snow filled wonderland and the awful cabin fever that often takes me to mental instability.

As our community enjoys the benefits of wealth moving into our valley it seems the kind ways of this place I call home will remain friendly and generous to those that we find desirable to have around us. We might even be able to price out these drug dealers and have more leverage to get this trash away from our neighborhoods and away from our children.

[Fun CH]

We have all kinds of swimming in the Methow now including the Wagner pool, and that didn't keep a few kids that I knew of off dangerous drugs. One sadly committed suicide.

What about the disabled, the seniors and other low income people who will incur an additional tax burden that will decrease their ability to pay for good quality food, dental care, medical care and nursing care?

Don't their lives matter as they try to live out the longest lives they can?

That's way I'm voting NO, because the needs and lives of low income community members and seniors matter? Sorry, I just can't justify taking money from the poor to satisfy the luxury pleasure of a few.

Outdoor pools work just fine for mentoring children as does sking, hiking, biking, baseball, football, soft ball soccer, hunting, and countless other fitness activities that occur here. Its the quality of mentoring and assuring that bullying does occur that matters, not the type of activity.

And what message does taking money from the poor to fund a luxury indoor mega spa send to children?

[pasayten]

Thank you for joining the discussion Tristan...

The total population residing in the Methow Valley School District is 5,904...
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/970 ... strict-wa/

Looking at a $23,000,000 mega indoor pool complex would be spending 23,000,000/5,904 = $3,895 per resident for construction plus annual operations costs which would be put on the backs of property owners thru forever tax levies by a Methow Aquatics District with an appointed Board...

Does this mega complex seem like a smart investment considering other priorities of the Methow Valley like affordable housing and mental health?

I will be voting NO on Proposition 1

[SOulman]

This is a fair, respectful comment.

Can't people, including kids, achieve the same benefits with a seasonal, outdoor pool that costs a fraction of the cost? We've been doing so for 50+ years. Why not continue that proud tradition?

Swimming is important to some people and it might be the one thing for some. On the other hand, I constantly hear about how there are almost too many options and activities for people. It's not like there is nothing to do in the community and there are countless adults providing caring mentorship to youth in a variety of activities, most of them seasonal because that's what it's like when you live close to nature rather than indoors.

There is an entirely different and lengthy discussion about whether investing in indoor swimming is the best community development strategy given limited resources.

It's great that you are engaged in the civic discussion and plan to vote.

Regards,

Steve Oulman

[tristanbgilb]

I have invested 25 years of my life in the methow valley. Through the years I have accumulated half a million dollars in real estate and am raising the most wonderful children I have ever known. Largely I give the sheltered existence of our small mountain community who have accepted and value me and my family credit for this safe environment to allow my family to flourish here. I see others in the Methow who are not nurtured here throwing away their lives to drugs and alcohol as I did in much of my youth and into adulthood. Watching my children grow into loving good people has done much to heal my heart damaged through life including an abusive existence in military service. I am likely to vote in favor of this extravagant pool project thinking that if even one child is saved from alcohol and drugs by finding a better way to get through life and turning to swimming as socialization rather than the the lost hope of the partying spirit of addiction to substances perverting a happy and productive life. Old and young are able to utilize aquatic facilities in many communities promoting a healthy lifestyle of low impact exercise and break from unhealthy isolation. I think a shot at helping our community to be a safer and healthier place to live is better than doing nothing at all.