Workshops coming on ballot measure

Bainbridge Island officials will host three meetings to offer details on the $15 million levy measure for roadside improvements for bicyclists and walkers that will appear on the November ballot.

If approved by voters in the Nov. 6 General Election, the ballot measure will raise property taxes by 28 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to a city estimate. For the owner of a $660,000 (the median home value on Bainbridge), the property tax bill will rise by $185.

The tax increase proposal has been named the ”Connecting Bainbridge: SAFE Mobility Levy.”

Three workshops will be held to talk about the property tax levy, and will include potential projects that may include roadside shoulder improvements, safe routes to schools, and pedestrian improvements in the core of downtown Winslow.

The ballot measure does not identify specific projects that will actually be completed, though the council did pass a resolution in July that said 45 percent of the money raised would be used on shoulder improvements, 25 percent would be spent on safe routes to schools and trails, 15 percent would be devoted to projects in the Winslow core, and 15 percent would be used for other projects as well as the costs of consultants and contractors.

If approved, the measure will increase the city’s property tax levy for seven years.

The upcoming workshops will include an open house, a brief presentation, and a question-and-answer session.

The meetings are: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12 at city hall; 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 22 at Seabold Hall; and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 11 at Island Center Hall.