Ada County commissioners agree to place Western Ada Recreation District dissolution on May ballot

The Ada County Board of Commissioners voted to place a question on the May ballot asking voters whether to dissolve the Western Ada Recreation District, following a presentation by the district's chairman, Sean Wardle.

Wardle told the board the district — formed in 1971 to provide parks and a pool to portions of Meridian — has largely transferred its facilities and operations to the City of Meridian in stages since 2018 and has reduced its levy to zero. "We spent a little over $3,000,000 on the pool," Wardle said, and described an operational transition in which most assets were dedicated to Meridian while the district retained a small cash balance and limited remaining responsibilities.

County staff reported they had searched available historical records and supporting materials and advised the board that the petition meets the statutory alternative for districts that have experienced more than 200% growth since formation. Staff noted some formation documents were sparse but said available evidence supports the petition's threshold claim.

Commissioners asked about public education and the disposition of remaining funds. Wardle said the district expects to turn available cash and assets to the county if voters approve dissolution and suggested funds could be used for waterways or similar purposes; he said the district planned limited outreach and would otherwise rely on press releases and the recreation district as the public information source. A county staff representative said the statute does not require the county to spend the transferred funds in a specific program and that they would likely go to the general fund unless the commissioners choose a dedicated purpose.

Commissioner discussion ranged from confirming the legal basis for placing the measure on the ballot to suggesting broader future conversations about regional parks governance. After a motion to place the petition on the ballot in compliance with the applicable code section, the board voted in favor. The commissioners indicated they — together with district staff — will finalize ballot language before the March 13 deadline for the May election.

The board's action was procedural: it places the dissolution question before voters rather than dissolving the district directly. The ballot measure will appear on the May ballot if the elections office receives the finalized question in time.

Next steps: county staff and the petitioning board will finalize and submit ballot language to meet the established election deadline; if voters approve dissolution, the district's remaining funds and assets would be transferred according to state statute and county direction.