Does county owe back levy monies? | Letter

I wish to follow up on Tom Johnson’s letter to the editor published Aug. 12.

Editor,

I wish to follow up on Tom Johnson’s letter to the editor published Aug. 12.

In it he claims to have the numbers to support the fact that the North Whidbey Park and Recreation District has not been receiving the correct voter-approved levy amounts from Island County for a number of years.

For example, this year the district reportedly only received 12 cents of the 17 cents which the voters approved.

If, and I emphasize if, Mr. Johnson, a former NWPRD commissioner is correct, the taxpayers are having their money misappropriated by Island County.

The NWPRD, and especially the swimming pool, are the big financial losers. Moreover, the voters were deceived into believing they voted for the NWPRD to receive the full 17 cents each and every year.

I do not understand why the park commissioners, the Whidbey News-Times and/or the county do not all follow up on this potential discrepancy with the Washington State Auditor’s Office and inform the public of the following.

Is the NWPRD owed almost $1 million in back levy monies by Island County? Or, if this is not the case and to what extent, would these agencies, including the News-Times, please present the facts to the public?

Lack of transparency only leaves us wondering who, what and why?

Al Lunemann

Coupeville