I want to thank you for taking
the time to file your protest against the
addition of recreational powers to the Sun
Valley General Improvement District.
I did not vote for the addition of recreational
powers nor did I vote for the pool and park
tax. This service was already being provided
by Washoe County and there was no real need
to put this expense on you.
Margaret ......................................................................................................................
7/10/2009
To the Washoe County Board of Commissioners;
David Humke, Chair
Bonnie Weber, Vice Chair
John Breternitz
Kitty Jung
Robert Larkin
In response to the BCC agenda item scheduled
to be heard on July 14th 2009 at 6 pm and
the notices mailed by the County Clerk in
regards to this matter.
This letter is in opposition to the Amendment
Service Plan for Addition of Recreational
Powers as requested by Sun Valley General
Improvement District.
I oppose this action because of the negative
financial impact this will have on Sun Valley
residents and I also feel that the ballots/mailers
used to support this request were slanted.
The Sun Valley residents were
mailed a publication that; appeared by design
to be a mass commercial mailing; were emotionally
charged with bias sporting a sad faced child
with both headlines saying Lets Save The
Pool and Save The Pool. Because this is
such a bold and lasting step for the SVGID
to take, I believe the mailers should have
been neutral in order to be proper.
I believe that if our Sun
Valley residents were presented with more
detailed long term financial impacts that
this choice brings that they would not be
in favor of adding the recreational powers.
It is very clear through all the study that
because Washoe County is self insured and
SVGID is not and that it is more cost efficient
for our customers to continue with the same
pool being operated by Washoe County as
opposed to the SVGID operating it at a cost
of an additional $5.00 per month over what
is currently being paid through property
taxes.
Over the years there has been
much opposition to the idea of incorporating
Sun Valley. A study was done that shows
the cost to the residents would be prohibitive.
Adding Parks and Recreational Powers is
one of the most financially draining aspects
of incorporating and we are about to do
it.
Some facts to be considered
that surround this issue are that the folks
who will bear this expense are captive customers;
we have a high concentration of seniors
and lower income residents that cannot afford
this. The notices that the residents received
didn’t give equal space to the negative
impacts and the situation that our pool
is closing this year is not a reality.
Washoe County has existing
staff and equipment to operate parks and
pools, our GID does not. Washoe County and
other governmental branches have taken steps
to decrease their expenditures and tighten
belts because the revenue flows have shrunk.
I think it is financially irresponsible
to think that Sun Valley can afford to grow
while the rest of the world is in a recession.
In defense of this it has
been suggested that the SVGID doesn’t
have to exercise its power after they receive
it but let me assure you that they intend
to. They have already discussed how much
they would charge, who might be exempt and
who might be favored with free passes.
I request that you deny the
additional recreational powers request at
this time until our customers can make a
clear choice for themselves that is based
on a clearer picture of what this will bring
rather than pure emotion. I am representing
my own opinions and what I believe to be
a large portion of our constituency that
elected me to represent them on the SVGID.
I am attaching the mailer to this request
that was sent out to our customers.
