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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011 | Vol. 13, No. 43 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
It’s more than the climb
BEFORE THE RAIN
Dee Molenaar’s artwork exhibited in Old Town Silverdale BY KRISTIN OKINAKA KOKINAKA@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
Greg Skinner/Staff Photo
A member of the Haselwood Family YMCA in Silverdale takes in the last sunshine expected for days Tuesday afternoon during a treadmill run on the second floor of the new facility. The National Weather Service is calling for rain and a chance of lowland snow showers today.
Just as natural as it is for some to bring trail mix or a first aid kit, a set of paints always goes along with Dee Molenaar on every hike. “I’ve always had watercolors when I climb or hike,” said Molenaar at his Port Orchard home last week. The 93-year-old has climbed Mount Rainier more than 50 times and has been a part of several national and international expeditions including on Mount St. Elias in Alaska and the Himalaya Mountains. He has painted — mainly in watercolors — on the scene of his many climbs. Molenaar’s artwork from his travels are on display at Old Town Custom Framing and Gallery in Silverdale. A reception, open to the public, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. SEE MOLENAAR, A8
City looks to tax hike for funds More than $400K for ‘mismanaged’ street fund BY GREG SKINNER GSKINNER@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
In order to cover the City of Bremerton’s 2012 budget, as proposed, the Bremerton City Council will be asked to approve raising an additional $1 million in funds through several tax increases. The council Wednesday held a public hearing on three ordinances that would add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city’s beleaguered revenue sheets – with much of it going to the Street Fund – by taxing utilities. The city explained Ordinance 5170, which raises wastewater and stormwater taxes by 5 percent and decreases water taxes by 1
percent for a net increase of $324,044 from stormwater, which will be transferred into the Street Fund. An additional $613,666 from wastewater will go straight to the city’s general fund as revenue if the plan recieves final approval during a Dec. 7 council vote. City councilmember Roy Runyon said that stormwater and wastewater utility ratepayers would not necessarily see a rate increase as a result of the additional taxes levied on the “enterprise funds,” which he described as “healthy.” Combined, the water utilities would have $9 million in reserves at the end of the 2012 budget. The additional tax, if approved, will be applied to the individual utility fund as if it were a business, Bremerton finance director Becky Hasart said. State law allows the action as a revenue source, she said.
To further fill the Street Fund, the city council will also consider Ordinance 5169 which raises parking tax from 10 to 15 percent. The expected $150,000 in increased revue would be put into the Street Fund. Hasart said that for several years while under the previous public works directors. The Street Fund was reliant on “inappropriate transfers,” she said. That public works continued to operate as such happened, Hasart said, “Because nobody in the city understood the Street Fund.” The final hearing Wednesday explained Ordinance 5168, which, if approved, would increase regular property taxes and the Emergency Medical Services levy by 1 percent, the maximum allowable – $63,747 and $13,743 respectively. With council approval, the action will raise the sum total of taxes paid on wastewater in
the city to $20 for every $100 paid in rates. Several weeks must pass before the council can approve the proposed 2012 budget. But its balance and the numbers to be approved are completely reliant on the passing of all three ordinances to raise taxes. Hasart described the plan as a “survival budget” and said the council had some tough decisions to make. Councilmember Greg Wheeler said he supports the tax increases as a way to balance the budget along with the layoff of 25 employees to close the rest of the gap. The city needs workers and to balance the budget with nothing but pink-slips would put the city in jeopardy in terms of its ability to function, Wheeler said. Facing an overall $2.1 million shortfall in SEE TAX, A8