MONROE — Two candidates are vying for a contested seat on the East County Park and Recreation District.
It is a junior taxing district that has five volunteer commissioners to operate Maltby Community Park. The district’s boundaries are the same as those of the Monroe School District.
The 16-acre Maltby park is located off of Highway 522 between Woodinville and Monroe. It has three baseball fields, a soccer field, a basketball court, walking trails, a wetland, a playground and a covered picnic area with barbecues.
Money for the park primarily comes from user fees and donations. Its maintenance and operations levy expired years ago and hasn’t been renewed.
Commissioner Brian Moody is facing opposition for his Position 5 seat from political newcomer Tyler Poling. They are competing for a four-year term.
Moody, general manager of United Recycling Company, has served the district for two years. The 48-year-old is the caretaker of Maltby Community Park.
Moody, of Maltby, said if re-elected, he’d work to get more money for the park. He’d also like to see other parks put under the taxing district’s umbrella.
Moody said he had a dilapidated play structure removed from the park and raised about $120,000 to have a new one installed. It is scheduled to go in during the next few weeks.
Poling, a caregiver from Monroe, is making his first run for public office. The 37-year-old hopes to bring new energy to the board.
He has experience organizing events in Seattle and has focused on public safety, emergency plans and event security.
If elected, Poling said, he’d use social media to better promote parks, which doesn’t cost taxpayers. He’d encourage people to check in at parks and tag their photos to share experiences.
The state Auditor’s Office wagged its finger at the district with a March management letter for failing to file annual reports on time and failing to reconcile bank accounts from Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2013.
The reports for 2011 and 2012 were both more than a year late. The auditors also found that only one of the district’s four bank accounts was reconciled each month, which resulted in cash balances being underreported by more than $200,000 each year in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Poling called the mistakes “inexcusable” and said the district needs to do a better job of keeping track its money.
Moody said the failure to file annual reports was due to an accountant not knowing it was required. He said the four bank accounts have been consolidated into one that is now reconciled monthly.
“It was some learning,” he said. “All of the issues have been resolved.”
Position 4 Commissioner Daniel Williams is running unopposed for another four-year term.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports
At-large Position 5
Brian Moody
Age: 48
Occupation: General manager of United Recycling Company
Website: Not available but email
Age: 37
Occupation: Caregiver
Website: Not available but email vote4tyler@outlook.com
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