When I read these stories, it makes me wonder what the City of Olympia does with property tax, sales tax, B&O tax impact fees and additional project specific levies we pay. I think that number is close to $80mm. I look at the budgets, but there isn't much of a breakdown to see ultimately where money is getting spent.
Roads, sidewalks and green spaces aren't being maintained to a reasonable standard they once were. When the opportunity arises for the City to shift these deferred maintenance costs onto a developer, like non profit Habitat for Humanity or other builders, the City is eager to require budget busting offsite improvements. Many in Olympia might not know that an average home built in the City limits will be required to pay roughly $12k in permits, $50k in impact fees before a shovel even hits the ground and another $50k in sales tax.
While this might satisfy the old school "Growth pays for growth" crowd in Olympia, it substantially increases the cost of housing beyond a point that will encourage housing to be built and young families to live here. The City Council hasn't done any favors over the last 3 or 4 decades to the community when it comes to bringing diversity of housing into City.
https://olympiatime.com/2019/08/04/ghettos-and-lost-quadplexes-at-nut-tree-loop-our-conversations-40-years-ago-around-multifamily-housing-and-how-we-got-here/
Not to go too far back in history, but it wasn't long ago that the City paid $1.28mm to the State for a very polluted parcel that was partially remediated and given to LIHI for $1 for the Billy Frank Building. Same story with 2828 Martin Way where Unity Commons is now. $1.35mm for a property that had sold several years prior for $500k. Then sold to LIHI for $1. Even worse, the City paid $2.175mm for the Plum Street hotel that had burned down. Take a look at any downtown parcel that has sold in the last 20 years, and it will be difficult if not impossible to find any higher price paid.
At City Council meetings there was recognition of City staff of what a good purchase they negotiated. It just doesn't pass a common sense test. This is extraordinary amount of money seemingly flying under the radar.
We have a beautiful town and that should be the priority with community tax dollars.
I hear the City say they have a larger number of financial obligations. I often wonder why we have garbage service when there are alternatives to take that responsibility from the City that are used everyday in the County. Why does the City own several million dollar Vactor Trucks that get used intermittently.
It seems like a point has been crossed where we need to focus on the priorities and not wait for others to come along and bail us out with Government or grant money. This might require a revamp of our expectations of what a City is responsible to do.
OSD seems to do the same thing. OSD spends one time pandemic money on recurring expenses. Then OSD needs to make budget cuts almost equal to the pandemic spending grant, but instead of finding cuts, is willing to bring great stress and divisiveness into the community with the hope that the State government will swoop in and provide them more money.
It isn't a healthy environment to be dependent on other tax payers and government entities to meet your responsibilities.
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