Pop quiz: How much does the city subsidize the Port Townsend Golf Course every year? $5,000? $10,000? Or were you under the impression that the golf course actually generates money for the city?

The answer is more than $42,000 average each year from 2018-2022. Is this how you want your tax dollars being spent? If not, please come to the Open House regarding the Golf Course and Mountain View Commons from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26 at the Fort Worden Commons. There you will be presented with three options.

A) An improved nine-hole golf course. Multiple analyses have concluded that the golf course as is isn’t a sustainable business operation. It has to be invested in, in order to survive. This option means that even more of your tax dollars will subsidize local golf. The numbers are contested but probably somewhere between $350,000 and $1.2 million.

B) A slightly rearranged nine-hole golf course that leaves approximately 10 acres for some of the community’s stated priorities, such as trails, habitat restoration, community garden, etc. This option also involves massive capital investment in the golf course because the driving range will need to be removed and Holes 5 and 6 relocated.

C) A glorious 58-acre park (no golf) which features extensive trails and lots of space for many of the community’s top priorities (habitat restoration, community garden, boardwalk, nature play, picnic area, etc.) Yes, it’ll cost money but the whole community can enjoy it and we get to decide how much to spend. We can go big and put in a variety of features, or we can keep it simple to start and phase in new uses over time as we feel we can afford them.

Please mark your calendar and join me in choosing option C. This is our chance to make a real difference.

Gabe Van Lelyveld
PORT TOWNSEND