Washington County again delays voter-approved Land and Water Legacy program
In 2006, voters in Washington County approved a ballot referendum authorizing the county to sell bonds to permanently protect land that preserves water quality, woodlands, and other natural areas. However, since then the Washington County Land and Water Legacy Program has been able to demonstrate very few accomplishments and its board has repeatedly refused to provide the voter-approved funding.
In 2008 the Washington County Board voted unanimously to delay $820,000 in expenditures for the program when they adopted the 2009 budget and tax levy. This action delayed the sale of $10 million in bonds that were to be used to protect land under the Land and Water Legacy program.
Now, once again, Washington County Commissioners are short-changing and effectively delaying the program. Unfortunately, the failure to fund the program despite voter support means that the county has been sitting out an extremely favorable real estate market as well as missing the opportunity to leverage a major infusion of new state funds for habitat conservation.