City of Tukwila officials have announced there is no longer enough money in the budget to continue maintaining and operating the Tukwila Pool.

In an attempt to save the nearly 40 year old community pool a proposition has been placed on the August 16 ballot: Proposition No. 1, Resolution No. 1738.

This proposition, if approved by voters by a simple majority, would allow for the creation of a Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District.

Mt. Rainier Pool in Des Moines is operated by a similar park district.

This park district would take full control over the management and maintenance of the pool and will be governed by the Tukwila City Council as the Board of Commissioners. In addition, the boundaries already in place by Ch. 35.61 RCW will still apply.

These boundaries will pass authorization on to the district the right to "levy a general tax on property within the District each year," according to the King County Local Voters Pamphlet. This tax is not to exceed 15 cents per thousand dollars of "assessed valuation" of a property.

The district would also be authorized to "issue debt and to exercise the right of eminent domain," the pamphlet says. This means, in order to pay for various things for the pool, the district could sell bonds through a brokerage firm. It would then have the money needed for the project right away. Then it would be paid off over a predetermined amount of time.

The right of eminent domain gives the district the authority to take private property from owners, with or without their permission, for public use. Proper compensation to the owner would be required.

"If the ballot fails, the pool closes," Dave Puki, a long-time user of the pool said. "If it passes you can have discussions about other costs."

Puki says if the ballot fails, the pool will close and will also be demolished, at a $325,000 cost to the city.
Another concerned citizen, Paul Willoughby, opposes the proposition.
"I am all for a swimming pool. I love to give people what they want, except there are limits to wants," he said.
Willoughby does not believe the pool will be closed or demolished.

"It is the same pool, has the same operators and no changes occur until the council acts," he said. "The council could find the money in the existing budget to keep it open under more manageable cost."
He suggests cuts in personnel management by cutting hours and personal expenditures.

"The mayor could assign the pool to Parks and Recreation for management and hire ordinary lifeguards, janitor etc." he said. If they shut the pool down, they can just as quickly open it again if they find money in the contemporary budget."

He also states that fees could be raised or that "pool users could organize themselves into a crew that takes care of cleaning and janitorial work."

"The pool is in the school," he continued. "They ought to be able to contract janitorial services from the school staff."

Puki says the importance of having a community pool is clear. Tukwila Pool, he says, "doesn't have limited hours, and is more open for people such as senior citizens."

He says senior citizens using the pool to maintain their health could go there in the early mornings when the pool opens and not have to worry about the crowds of children or others you can find at other private pools, which require memberships.

The pool opens as early as 5:45 a.m. on weekdays and at 11 a.m. on weekends.

Puki also believes there is a strong importance in teaching young people to swim as soon as possible. It plays a major part in saving lives, in a place where bodies of water are prevalent, he believes.

Tukwila Pool, formerly called South Central Pool, opened in 1973 as part of 1968's "Forward Thrust bond issue" by King County. In 2003, due to funding problems, ownership was transferred to the city of Tukwila.

For a close look at the City budget, visit http://www.ci.tukwila.wa.us, click on "government," and choose the "budget/financial information" option. Pool budget information begins on page 118.