Commissioners approve Tekoa parks district loan request

The Whitman County Board of County Commissioners this week approved a loan request from the Tekoa Park and Recreation District.

The request, which had been tabled at a previous commission meeting March 21 due to a lack of information, was approved for $70,000 to enable the district to operate this year.

The district in February received voter approval for a two-year special maintenance and operation levy totaling $160,000, but will not receive those funds until 2017 when tax collections begin.

The district previously had requested $85,000 in the November general election for maintenance and operation, but that measure failed by one vote.

The Whitman County Treasurer's Office will fulfill the $70,000 loan request now that it has been approved by the commissioners. The commissioners at their March 21 meeting also awarded the Oakesdale parks district a loan. That loan was for $20,000 to cover the 2016 park season. Both districts are expected to be paying back the loans from levy funds, once received.