Correction: A previous version of this article misattributed quotes from Councilmember Anthony Wright to Councilmember Chance La Fleur. The article has been updated.
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The Enumclaw City Council delayed a vote on approving community center bond measure, giving residents one last chance to make their thoughts known before the measure is likely passed.
City officials were expected to approve the bond measure — which would only have put the decision on funding a $21 million community center to the voters, as opposed to unilaterally approving the bond themselves — to city residents on the April 2024 special election ballot during the Nov. 27 meeting, but now it is expected to pass council on Dec. 4, after print deadline for the Dec. 6 edition. An update on the vote will be published online and in the Dec. 13 edition.
The council normally meets every second and fourth Monday of the month, but the meeting was moved due to scheduling conflicts.
If voters approve the bond, the community center would house a new senior center, rooms for the nonprofit Arts Alive! and the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce, offices for the city of Enumclaw’s Parks and Rec department, open rooms to rent for meetings and classes, a common space for events, an open-air pavillion, and a full-sized gym.
For taxpayers, this would mean an estimated additional property tax of 28 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value; the annual bill for homeowners with $500,000 in assessed property value (which is different than market value) would be $140. The length of the bond is up to 29 years.
During the Nov. 27 meeting, it was clear that the vast majority of the council planned to move the bond measure forward; the sole holdout at this point seems to be Councilmember Bobby Martinez, who expressed concern that this was not a good financial time to raise taxes for some residents.
“If six out of ten people in the community go out and say, ‘Hey we think we should take some of your money so we can build this community center out here,’ that doesn’t make it right,” Martinez said, referring to the 60% supermajority necessary for the bond to pass during the election. “I think that people are getting nickled and dimed from every angle right now, and I just can’t be part of adding to that burden.”
Martinez and Councilmember Chris Gruner were the two officials who voted against the full-gym design in August 2022, and both cited taxpayer burden.
It’s unclear how much of a difference not building a full-sized gym would affect the overall project cost at this time, as construction prices increase by $7 million since 2022.
However, back when the design was still being planned, removing the gym would have shaved about $4 million off the top.
But despite his earlier reticence, Gruner appeared to fully support moving the bond measure forward during the last council meeting.
“We’re at an inflection point where the increasing number of seniors we have in Enumclaw, and I feel strongly that we need a viable way forward” to support them, Gruner said, adding that a community center would go a long way to keeping Enumclaw’s “small town” feel. “The city, the Chamber of Commerce, and numerous private organizations host many events in the vacant lots downtown. However, those lots are now being developed and I’m expecting there’s going to be a lot more development downtown and in the future, and while I agree it’s great to see capitalism at work, improving these spaces, it raises questions about what we want our downtown to be. For me and many people I talked to, having a place to continue holding events to bring people together is an important part of maintaining our small town character.”
Councilmember Anthony Wright said that the city looked at how much it would cost just to refurbish the current senior center — which would have cost millions on its own without improving capacity — or building a new one, which would have meant the city would have put the project on hold while they looked for a plot of land adequate for such a project and someone willing to sell it.
He added that Enumclaw’s Parks and Rec currently uses Enumclaw School District sports facilities for its sports leagues, and that there are teams that cannot play because of time and space constraints; adding a full-sized gym would increase the number of youths that can play.
“We’re not building a Taj Mahal,” Wright continued, possibly a dig at the school district for running a $253 million bond for two new elementary schools, a new performing arts center, and a new sports stadium last fall. “We’re doing everything we can to reduce the cost of the footprint of the building” through grants and even private donations.
Toward the end of discussion, Major Jan Molinaro said this community center needs to be for everyone if it’s to receive local support.
“It’s for pre-K to come in. It’s for gym classes for seniors, pickelball, basketball, volleyball, all kinds of league play,” he continued. “Do we fix up a 100 year-old building… or do we invest in a new building for future generations?”
SENIOR/DISABLED PROPERTY TAX REDUCTIONS
Local seniors and disabled veterans within Enumclaw’s city limits might be eligible for a property tax reduction, which would include the bond, if passed by voters.
Seniors and veterans that meet certain criteria can apply for reduced to deferred property taxes through King County.
To qualify, you must:
• Be born in 1960 is earlier; or
• Or you are veteran with a service-connected disability or disabled
These residents must also:
• Own their residence as on Dec. 31 of the prior tax benefit year
• Occupy the residence six months of the year
• Have an annual household income under $58,423, including Social Security and other sources of money
There are other various tax exemption, deferral, and relief programs available. To learn more, or apply, head to senior-exemption.kingcounty.gov/intro#qualification.
