12/06/2007: "New Property Taxes To Pay For Ferries?"

In an unofficial proclamation, Bob Distler showed up at a scheduled County Council agenda item for a report from WSF (Washington State Ferries) Planner Ray Deardorf and staff, and informed the county council that in his opinion future funding may have to come from a combined counties taxing district made up of San Juan, Kitsap and Island.

While Deardorf did not embrace the idea put forth by Distler, he acknowledged what the council -and everyone else- knows, that the ferry system is in financial shallow waters and is looking at various ways to get back on course. Deardorf said currently the system is looking at as much as 400 million dollars revenue stream in the red over a twenty five year period.

The premise of the long range study is to answer the question “what can be done to minimize the costs”? The major financial problem results from the projected labor and fuel costs that are no longer valid.

Deardorf presented a flow chart and a time frame schedule they are working on to come up with some answers to the many problems facing the system.

One of the questions the council wanted to hear about was what were the future impacts to the county resulting from the problems that have show up with the hull pitting found on four of the boats.

The good news was that WSF will assign the Evergreen State to the San Juans, which will be continued to be used until one or two of the ferries can be repaired and returned to service, but the bad news was that the Evergreen requires some engine work to be completed before it can be put fully back into service; hopefully by spring.

Of the four boat out of service, only the Nisqually will most likely not be returned to service.