Council approves Washington Park District annexation with property-tax-rebate amendment

The Washington City Council on Tuesday approved the Washington Park District’s petition to annex the 223 property, adding an amendment that will provide a property-tax rebate while the city retains ownership.

The amendment was proposed by Alderperson Blundy and approved by a 4–1 vote with one abstention; the transcript records one no vote but does not name the dissenting member. Alderperson Moss abstained from the vote, citing a potential conflict: “My company currently has work under consideration by the park district, so I’m gonna abstain from any debate or vote on this matter,” she said during the discussion.

Blundy, who moved the amendment, framed the change as returning some revenue while the city retains control of the parcel. Blundy urged the council to seek a property-tax rebate, saying the city’s ongoing investment in the property merited additional compensation: “We also invested $5,000,000 of taxpayer money in this property,” Blundy said, arguing the current farm rental return of about $70,000 a year does not justify further unrecouped investment.

Council members debated tradeoffs including future development leverage and long-term returns. One member said the rebate proposal had been discussed previously and was not favored, but the motion to amend carried 4–1 (with one abstention) and the annexation as amended was approved.

The record does not show a detailed timetable for implementation of the rebate or the amount; those specifics were left to follow-up staff work. The council’s vote was taken by roll call after brief debate.

The annexation joins other land-management and leasing items the council addressed during the meeting; staff will publish ordinance language and any rebate terms for subsequent readings or administrative action.