A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
ADVERTISEMENTS
The much-discussed Tigard-Tualatin Aquatic District is in the final lap and heading towards the finish line.
The district — which would save the Tigard and Tualatin high school swimming pools from closing — earned another small victory Tuesday, after Washington County Commissioners approved ballot material now to be filed with the Washington County Elections Office.
The material will appear on the voter’s pamphlet and ballot during the election.
If passed, the district would levy taxes by setting up a permanent tax base and would be operated by a five-member elected board.
The permanent rate would be limited to 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or about $18 a year for a $200,000 home. If levied, the district will generate about $800,000 a year.
The aquatic district would serve the residents within the Tigard-Tualatin School District.
The aquatic district has been the work of Save Tigard-Tualatin Pools, a grass roots effort made up of local parents and community members.
Voters need to vote against the pool. We cannot afford higher taxes, nor should we feel an obligation to support this. Only a couple hundred different people ever use the pool per year. If we fund this then we are fools.
(email verified)
Sat, Mar 06, 2010 at 08:50 AM
I am a local fireman who lives in Tigard. We respond to drownings ever year, many of which may have been prevented had the person been a competent swimmer. I cannot stress enough the importance of having community access to a public pool where kids can get proper swim instruction, a critical life safety skill, at an early age. Voting down the Aquatic District will mean no local public pool, and I fear many children will not receive the safety benefits they provide. And for the person that thinks "only a few hundred people" use the pools... Check your facts... You are off by at least an order of magnitude. The swim teams alone have those #'s. Now count rec swims, scuba and kid's swim instruction, aerobics, high school programs, water polo, parties...
(email verified)
Sun, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Not very many people use these pools for rec swim...maybe five or so per session in Tualatin on any given day in the summer. The lessons have never been too popular either, with the majority of people choosing Club Sport or any of the better taught classes. There are plenty of places to learn to swim so that argument makes no sense. Virtually all kids learn to swim and it's not at these pools. For one thing the lessons have always been of a poor quality. There is no reason that people can't drive to the YMCA where lessons are pretty cheap and parents of young kids enjoy it better. The Tigard and Tualatin pools are not made for family fun. They are lap pools. They are a parent's nightmare because they are far too deep with virtually no shallow end and offer nothing to do. Parents will do the right thing and get their kids to swim lessons regardless if these pools remain. By the way there is very little use besides the swim teams. If they were so popular, they wouldn't be in financial trouble.
(email verified)
Sun, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:24 AM
For the "no pools" blogger... My 3 boys received high quality instruction from award winning instructors(2007 swimming outstanding service award), James R.Richardson award for outstanding long term swim contribution winner, as well as instuctors with collegiate all-American swimming honors for only $54!! That's $5 less than the Y and at least 7 miles closer for Tigard residents. The Tualatin pool is run by the same staff. This is not generally some high school swimmer instructing your child, as most pools do but highly qualified adults who are masters of their profession. The majority of Tigard-Tualatin residents cannot afford the club you speak of and will be less apt to drive the additional 7-10 miles for an alternative. And pools, like libraries and parks generally are not money makers, the are community assets. And that's why we should do our best to not let them slip away.
(email verified)
Sun, Mar 07, 2010 at 03:52 PM
To keep the pools open so that you can save $5.00 is ridiculous. The fees are supposed to go up anyway... so there goes your big savings. The $50.00 or so that you will pay annually to keep the pools open would actually make it cost more for you than to drive to the YMCA. Just because you don't want to bother to drive a short ten minutes for an alternative doesn't mean the rest of us should fund the pools. Many of us have already gone elsewhere to find better lessons. Just because you liked your lessons does not negate the fact that many of us found the lessons to be inadequate and our kids learned nothing. For the beginners, for example, there is such a small shallow area that the kids just cling to the wall until the teacher gets around to pulling tham around a little before they go back on the wall. My kids were afraid of the depth, but at the YMCA and Club Sport they were comfortable. You don't have to be a member of the club to take lessons either. Also, did you know that Tualatin is soon going to have another swimming pool which will be offering lessons? The pools will not be missed and everyone will learn to swim regardless. They are not fun places and I couldn't get my kids to want to go there whereas they would be glad to go to other pools.
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 08, 2010 at 08:55 AM
We are Tigard residents and last couple of summers we made numerous attempts to use the pools and every time we were turned away because they were used by some "interest groups" and public time was practically non-existent, the times they offered were very short chunks. Kids don’t want to go for ˝ hour swim and then go home. Every time we end up either at Beaverton or most often Portland pools paying non-resident fees.
There is no reason for us to support the local pools that are being horded up by few swim teams and pay for their hobby. Nobody is paying for our child’s hobby or other kids activities. The proposed tax is “PERMAMENT” and that means homeowners are stuck paying for it forever and with the property assessed value going up, the fee will go up as well. Homeowners shall not be paying for someone else’s hobby, this should be paid by the City or School district. City of Tigard instead of trying to buy more land for the parks may be they should take care of the existing stuff first!
(email verified)
Mon, Mar 08, 2010 at 09:58 AM
Find a paper
Enter a street name
or a 5 digit zip code
Browse archive
The Times
News feed
Facebook
Digg
Del.icio.us
Newsvine
Stumbleupon
Reddit
Re: Aquatic District makes it on May ballot
Has anyone ever heard of a "user fee". Just tax us until we all move out.
"Dino"
(email verified)
Sat, Mar 06, 2010 at 08:37 AM