As I was weeding my garden today, I got to thinking why do we have a Port of Shelton? It can't be because of all the air traffic coming into Sanderson International Airport or all of that ship traffic coming into Oakland Bay. Is the Port involved in business that really should be done by a private citizen?
So why is each property owner within the Port of Shelton paying a portion of their 2010 property tax bill to support the Port operations? (On a home valued at around $200K this comes to $53.97.) All of these tax collections added up to $615K in 2008. (The more current budgets, 2009 and 2010 are not posted on the Port of Shelton website, unfortunately. Port Administrator John Dobson, if you're reading this, please get that fixed. You never know when a citizen may want to look this info up on a Sunday afternoon.)
Here's what the website says the Port is about:
The Port of Shelton is an excellent location for your business.
With competitive lease rates, central access and the quality of life in one of the most beautiful natural areas in the Pacific Northwest, the Port of Shelton is more than just a great base to base your business.
Our helpful and knowledgeable staff are available to assist you, call now for available properties and lease options.
I'm thinking if our elected officials, particularly the county commissioners, are pro-business, maybe they should seriously consider privatizing the Port of Shelton. Let's really get out of the way of free enterprise.
There's a win-win: private industry is allowed to profit and those property owners in the Port of Shelton get a reduced property tax bill.
What do you think? Should the Port of Shelton be privatized or eliminated? Our county commissioners hold the authority to make this a ballot issue.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
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Did you know that the Port Commissioners voted themselves a big fat raise, to a pay of more than what the Port of Seattle make. The vote happened right before Wallitner came into office. I think it's illegal for them to vote their own raises and not take it to the voters.
ReplyDeleteYou should find out.
I am glad to see you raise this question. I have often thought about the same thing. Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind;
ReplyDelete* the port owns lots of acreage at Johns Prairie Industrial Park and around Sanderson Field that is worth tens of millions of dollars, yet is not on the tax rolls as they are a public agency. Instead we pay taxes to the port to basically subsidize the private hobby of a few wealthy pilots who own their own planes. Sanderson Field according to the Ports own records, only employs 17 people, yet they do not collect enough rent from businesses around the airport and at johns prairie business park to pay for the airport operating expenses. They must resort to taxing us all.
* The port employees all kinds of staff and administrators at expensive salaries to prepare studies and keep the books for port operations, and prepare meeting minutes and agendas for all the Port Commision meetings. This is basically redundant government. There is nothing the port does that can't be done cheaper by the county or city.
* The Ports advertising that it is an excellent location to do business is really a joke. If you are a businessman looking to move into the area and buy a parcel and erect a facility and employ people and pay taxes, you can't do it at the port. They are prohibited by their charter from selling property... they can only lease. What reasonably competent businessman wants to build a facility on leased land they don't even own?
and a few more thoughts;
ReplyDelete*The port doesn't even have any sewer service. The City built a new Satellite sewer project right next door to Port property, which the Highway Patrol and Dept of Corrections participated in and the Port refused to participate. So even if you were willing to invest your money building a business on land you don't own, you have no sewer service.
*If the Port was dissolved, all that publicly owned property at Johns Prairie business park and around the airport could be sold off to help pay for schools and roads and fixing the sewer problems. Everybodies taxes would go down as we would not be paying for redundant government. Private pilots who use the airport should pay landing fees which truly reflect the cost of operating the airport instead of having a hand out to all the taxpayers.
last thought...
ReplyDelete* Hopefully folks are aware that John Dobson, the Ports Executive Director, is also the President of the Washington Private Pilots Association. Didn't the Commisioners think that might be a conflict of interest when they hired him?? Frankly he seems to know little if anything about being the executive officer of a Municipal Corporation and is only focused on his pilot buddies and making sure they have a great place to practice their hobby at taxpayer subsidized expense.
* State Law actually provides for a mechanism for Port's to be dissolved. It can be done either by the State Legislature or by the Commisioner's themselves. In the circumstance where a Port is dissolved, the assets get turned over to the School district to be sold or disposed of as they see fit. If the Port of Shelton was dissolved, it would save everyone a bundle, and provide a nice source of capital for our schools, not to mention additional tax revenue for both the State, County and City.
well I guess we have come full circle to where Brenda started about fiscal responsibilty. I don't even know where to start I guess first I will address wages of Port staff most of the staff wages are no where near their counterparts at the State, County or City. And If anyone in their right mind thinks that Mason County or the City or for that matter the State would be good stewards of a windfall or just the money they are taking in now is out of touch with reality.As far as the schools go until there is an accountability for staff and the word tenure is removed from our language and they do a better job of educating our children giving them a windfall is laughable as well.I thought Lotto was to fund schools? Ok so lets go back to reality I agree that the current Port director was put in place by the pilots pals to secure their hobbies and since his employment the money has been leaving faster than it is coming in. Before his arrival on the scene the Port was successful and actually worked in the black not like their counterparts at the county and city (oh yea they rake us all pretty good on the taxes too like the new appraisals on our homes.) The last Port Director....... what happened to him? under his watch the Port was finanically solvent but made some comments and wanted the pilots to pay more for their hobbies and that was pretty much the end for him.
ReplyDeletelets see sewer service and water or the regional plan as it was once known, the end result of that... were the charges that the city wanted to make the partners pay for ongoing operations and maintenance it was so far out in orbit there was no way the Port could pass on to each of its tenants and those costs which was in the thousands of dollars each year to each of them before their water bill. do you live in the city? those folks pay on an average of 100$ or more per month for water sewer and garbage plus all the utility taxes.If my memory the clock on the civic center was a little over the top in costs meanwhile while the city was deferring street maintenance. ok the Port location.... well unless you live in a box with no windows our area is probably one of the most senic areas of the country(maybe why the sponsor of this blog moved here from the east coast)and with a little vison of elected officials at the Port it could provide jobs, recreation etc. that would enhance our community why mot take advantage of the dollars that drive by on vacation If I could put my business there while getting to enjoy our area thats a win win for everyone. Maybe if we did more to make these elected officials at all levels of government accountable and worked as our community is doing in opposing the biomass plant and when we feel that change needs to take place we run for an office and effect change for the betterment of us all....that might just be the answer we are all looking for.