A youth racing track in Monroe is about to be auctioned off.
The Washington Quarter Midgets Racing Association had a sweet deal with Snohomish County. They were allowed to lease real estate for a race track for just $7,200 a year.
Now the province wants the rent to increase at least two and a half times.
The association says it can handle the rent increase. The problem is they’re worried they could be outbid for this property they’ve built into a first-class facility. But Snohomish County officials say they’ve got it all wrong.
Built and operated by the Washington Quarter Midgets Association, this track welcomes all young people who want to race around a track, learning skills usually reserved for someone a little older.
“I’m going to experience how to drive,” said eight-year-old Avelyn Smith.
“I race hard,” says her brother, Wesson, 7. “And I have fun because one of my best friends races here too.”
But the parents who run this track worry that Snohomish County could hinder their children’s enjoyment by making a bid to lease the site. After all, they’ve been paying a whopping $7,200 a year since 2007, a price that would at least double.
“We built the facility,” stressed Jeff Cannon, parent and board member. “We put the money, time and effort into building the facility. And we offer ourselves against its construction?”
But county officials say another Quarter Midgets group inquired about leasing the facility last year.
So the new manager of the Evergreen State Fair, where the track is located, had the property appraised. And the appraisal showed that their rent was far below market value. That is why the province has made an offer for the lease.
“If we have something that multiple people want and because we are a public entity, that’s what we’ve always done,” Mike Ohlsen said.
Furthermore, Ohlsen says it would be fiscally irresponsible not to at least target the market rate, but nothing more.
“The fact is we have to,” he said. “We have to ask for market value. We cannot donate public funds.”
But Ohlsen says only the appraisal, not the buildings. He emphasizes that the province wants market value and nothing more.
All they are looking for is a club that can run the circuit best. And from where he sits, the club already in charge probably has the inside track.
