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| Time to Fund the Kid's Zone 1/9/2008 Time To Fund The Kid's Zone
Kids Zone co-founder and Neighbors for Kids board member Maggie Brown recently announced that President Bush signed into law an omnibus spending bill that provided $180,000 to fund the physical expansion of Kids Zone headquarters in the old Ainslee Building on Hwy 101. Bush did it with a dramatic flair, signing the bill on Air Force One. Maggie noted at a recent city council meeting that Representative Darlene Hooley and Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden all played key roles in securing the funding. The Kids Zone is a cause that easily bridges party lines. When added to the $25,000 already on hand earmarked for the project, the Kids Zone will have $205,000 available for the expansion. And the board of Neighbors for Kids, the parent organization of the Kids Zone, believes that funding is sufficient to get the job done right. The expansion will allow the Kids Zone the elbow room to break up into age appropriate groups, provide more space for individual tutoring and study sessions and house more equipment, such as computers, as it is acquired. Now, with this federal money in hand, its time for Depoe Bay to pay the piper. In a recent editorial, the Beacon called for a 1% increase in the transient room tax with the revenues dedicated for the Kids Zone’s operating and personnel expenses. This is exactly the same as the 1% increase in 2003 earmarked for law enforcement. That fund has accrued about $185,000 since its inception in July 2003, a little less than $45,000 per year. With a guarantee of that kind of money, Neighbors for Kids could pay Kids Zone Director Toby Winn and other employees what they’re worth. Under Winn’s leadership, the program has stepped up to a new level of excellence. We need to keep him here. The funds could also increase the Kids Zone’s hours of operation, expand the summer program and enhance the teen agenda, including Bruce Silver’s mechanic sessions. The increase would bring the Depoe Bay transient tax to 9%, in line with the county’s new rate of 9% and Newport’s 9.5%. That would leave Lincoln City alone at 8%, but, knowing how they operate, they’ll probably be at 9% shortly. The recent editorial on this subject spawned more positive feedback than any in recent memory. Support for the idea came from every neighborhood and socio-economic level. It’s now time for the City Council to pick up the ball and run with it. The Kids Zone needs the revenue stream ASAP. In order to begin receiving the funding in July, we need a measure on the May 20 ballot. The city must submit the measure by March 20 at the latest. The time to act is now. The City of Depoe Bay has been handed the keys to a solid gold Cadillac by the federal government. It’s time for us to pay for the gas and oil that will drive it. Author Name Depoe Bay Beacon - news@depoebaybeacon.com |
