Dear WIP,
According to The Olympian of March 2, 2022: In 2016, the City of Olympia purchased the former vacated Griswold office supply store for $300,000.
Recently, the City of Olympia awarded $287,000 to Aberdeen– based Roglin’s to demolish the building. The City of Olympia has since sold the site to Urban Olympia/John Walker for $50,000.
Mr. Walker will “move forward” with a mixed-use apartment development. A “portion” [as yet undetermined] will remain “affordable” [rent as yet undetermined] for 20 years—according to the “city.”
[$300,000 + $287,000]—$50,000 = NEGATIVE $537,000! This does not take into account inflation. Easy come, easy go. Who exactly comprises “The City of Olympia”?
Must be nice to have the “authority to spend taxpayers’ money, support real estate developers with sweet deals—including incredible tax incentives [even when interest rates have been near 0% for many, many years].
I suggest that the Olympia City Council approve a budget that requires all public “servants” involved with budgeting and awarding contracts—to achieve, at least, a 90% score on an Economic 101 course. Optional to complete in classroom or online. Must be completed individually: no cheating. Bonus points for balancing a checkbook.
Side Note: As the City Council approves sweet deals for developers: from 2020 to 2022, the assessed Land Value on 0.12 acres, where our 1,600 sq. ft. house is located, increased by $33,300—resulting in a substantial increase of our total property tax. Wish we qualified for some hefty tax breaks!
The “City of Olympia” needs to stop milking the residents of Olympia. Work with what you have—
balance your budget.
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