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Residents urge clearer ballot language for Fidalgo Metropolitan Park District resolution 31-84
Summary
Two speakers at public comment raised legal and drafting concerns about Resolution 31-84 and the ballot language for the proposed Fidalgo Metropolitan Park District, saying the use of the word “campus” and discrepancies between the resolution and the ballot pamphlet may confuse voters.
During the Oct. 13 public-comment period, two residents argued the city should clarify language in Resolution 31-84 before sending a proposition to voters to create the Fidalgo Metropolitan Park District (MPD).
Zua Mu (listed in the record as “Chiwa Moo, Anacortes”) urged the council to clarify the draft property tax ordinance and the resolution’s sections before the ballot pamphlet is printed. Mu said statements at a recent public hearing that the city would face bankruptcy without a 1% levy increase were premature because the 2026 budget had not yet been published.
Suzanne Roner told the council the resolution’s use of the term “campus” is ambiguous and not defined in the MPD statute, and she said the ballot pamphlet’s title and the resolution language do not align. Roner urged the council to consider rewriting the proposition language to match the resolution and the statutory definitions in the park-district statute so voters receive a clear description on the ballot.
Both speakers asked the council to consider changes and to provide clearer public explanations before the measure goes to ballot. Council did not take action on the comments during the meeting; the speakers’ concerns were placed on the public record.
