Council pauses on Fidalgo pool's metropolitan park district language; legal questions about levy cap remain

Anacortes City Council and representatives of the Fidalgo Pool and Fitness Center on July 21 continued detailed negotiations over ballot language to place a metropolitan park district before voters, focusing on whether the district should be limited-purpose (which allows the city to state a maximum levy in the proposition) or broad-purpose (which the district's counsel said could preclude a city cap).

City staff member Swetnam told council the principal legal reference is chapter 35.61 of the Revised Code of Washington, which governs metropolitan park districts. She said subsection 5 of that chapter allows a city to limit taxing powers "in the resolution in cases where the Metropolitan Park District is being formed for specifically identified facilities," and that the city "must state what that maximum levy rate is" if it elects a limited-purpose district.

Nut graf: The distinction matters because the pool commissioners want flexibility for future actions while many council members and members…