To the editor:

Is the community recreation center really a great deal?

Proponents of the new recreation center on South Whidbey claim that the CRC is a great deal. Do you consider a recreation center that loses money consistently and will have to be subsidized by property owners forever a great deal?

Members of the “yes on CRC” group would like you to believe that it will cost you less than $5 per month for the “average” $300,000 home. Per the bond underwriter for the park district, the cost of recreation center will be $6.83/month for a $318,000 home.

Keep in mind that the recreation center will cost the “average” property owner $81.97 per year and that is only to build the recreation center. A feasibility study has been completed to estimate the annual loss that the recreation center will generate (more than $150,000 per year) once it is functioning which is understandable since all of the recreation centers in the study operate consistently at a substantial loss ($100,000 to $900,000 per year).

If this recreation center is approved, we will all be paying for it for at least 20-plus years, along with the cost to maintain it indefinitely.

We are already paying 17.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to maintain park district property. This amount will double to almost 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value if the CRC is approved.

Do we really want to tax our aging population out of their homes to support a luxury recreation facility for the elite minority?

Marisa Reynolds

Langley