Is a Port District a Good Idea for Yakima?

The Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce will hold a program on March 13th on the potential of a port district for the City of Yakima.

Sunnyside has one, Grandview does too.  In fact there are more than 70 port districts in Washington State with a good number of them far from navigable waterways which you might associate with a port.

The Washington Ports website explains port districts as entities "governed by an elected commission, independent of other local jurisdictions....Port commissions establish long-term strategies for a port district, and create policies to guide the development, growth, and operation of the port.... A port district’s primary goal is economic development for its community, with the end result of job creation. And not just jobs, but jobs that pay a family wage and encourage growth throughout the port’s district.  Port districts are able to finance the long-term investments needed for such growth with four different sources of revenue:  taxes, service fees, bonds, and grants or gifts."

The Chamber program starts at noon at the Yakima Valley                                                museum and will explore just What is a Port District, What does                                        it take to create one, What will it cost and more.

Wednesday, March 15, 2019 at the museum.