Examining the budget: Why does the Kirkland Parks Department operate a farmers market?
What is the role of government? Should city government compete against the private sector?
The year old Friday Night Market at Juanita Beach map is Kirkland’s second farmer’s market, joining the Kirkland Wednesday Market map in downtown. The Juanita market is establishing itself good neighbor and resident of Juanita community.
Farmers markets in general are a wonderful source for local produce and act as a gathering place for the public. But one has to ask the question, why does the Kirkland Parks Department operate a farmers market?
During a review of the City of Kirkland Services Matrix for the upcoming budget study session on May 7th, we ran across item PK-36, a discretionary expenditure $85,877 for “Special Events”. The description includes the following:
In addition .25 FTE was added to Coordinate Friday Market at Juanita Beach. Revenue to support .25 FTE = $22,000
The City of Kirkland is spending $22,000 to coordinate a farmers market. That’s right, a farmers market. One might ask, So what? Well, this raises questions about the proper roll of government, questions about the propriety of such an arrangement:
- Why is the City operating a farmers market that directly competes with a non-profit 501 (c) (3), the Kirkland Wednesday Market?
- Why is the City spending $22,000 to compete against the other local farmers on the Kirkland Wednesday Market? Shouldn’t the city treat both markets equally? How can it when it actually owns one of them?
- Is it a conflict of interest when the Parks Department operates a market, and that same department is responsible for issuing permits to others who want to utilize our parks?
- Where does the profit from the market go — into the general fund?
- How much profit (or loss) did the Juanita market make last year?
- What is the future of the Juanita market?
Make no mistake, the Juanita market is a fabulous addition to local community. It is located at a great location on the beach, just two miles north of downtown. It offers produce from local farmers and other vendors. My wife and I enjoy walking the market on warm summer Friday nights. We fully support the market — just not the city owning it.
The problem is, the Parks Department should not be operating a market. It should be managed and operated independently — not by the City of Kirkland. There are many functions that are appropriate for a city government. Running a grocery store is not one of them!
What should the city do?
The city should spin off the Juanita market into the private sector or into a non-profit organization. Anything would be preferable to having the taxpayers paying $22,000 a year so the City of Kirkland can run a grocery store that competes against a non-profit.
Please support the hardworking local farmers and merchants at all of our local farmers markets. The Kirkland Wednesday Market (opens May 7th) and the Friday Market at Juanita Beach (opens May 30th).
* For the purposes of full disclosure, my wife volunteers for the Kirkland Wednesday Market and is a member of its board.
What are your views? Is the city overstepping its bounds by operating a farmers market?
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4 Responses to “Examining the budget: Why does the Kirkland Parks Department operate a farmers market?”
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By N2H
KCTS 9 Connects - Yakima Valley Gangs
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Good question. Why would Kirkland own a farmers market? Can’t the community find enough volunteers to make it happen? I have volunteered on two such markets in CA and it is a rewarding thing to do. The idea that our parks commission is running this is crazy. Don’t they have better things to do?
I was at the downtown market today and it was lovely. I recommend it highly. I hope janita can find enough people who want a market to snatch it away from someone in the parks commision who is trying to build an empire or keep budget money during a recession.
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I agree: the Friday market should have the same funding restrictions/requirements as the Wednesday market.
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I agree with the previous two comments. Maybe we can’t find the volunteers to run the market. Makes me wonder about the time we want to put into this or how important it really is to us. Parks people are so friendly and nice but I don’t want them owning our market! How silly is the idea of a government doing that? I bet some of these small farmers would avoid Juanita market just because it is run by the city!
Give the market back to the people. I would like to help.
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Since the line item appears to be revenue supported, my guess is that funds are collected from the vendors to pay a City staff person to spend a couple of hours assisting the vendors, and making sure that the park does not get trashed.
Since the community benefits from having the market, I don’t see a problem with a self-funded effort to make sure it runs smoothly.
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