PORT TOWNSEND: City wants money back for purchase of second carousel

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, March 27, 2001

PORT TOWNSEND — Supporters of the Carousel of the Olympic Sea could face criminal theft charges revolving around $10,000 in public funds that were used to purchase a second carousel.

A carousel association board member denies there was any misuse of the money.

The issue began a year ago when the City Council approved the $10,000 from hotel and motel room taxes to the Port Townsend Carousel Association to build a pavilion for a carousel the group already had in Port Townsend.

Instead, the money was used to purchase a second carousel near San Francisco and bring it to Port Townsend.

That, says City Manager David Timmons, violates an agreement between the City Council and carousel association.

Timmons sent a letter last week to the association’s president, Bill Dentzel, demanding that the group return the $10,000 for “breach of contract.”

For the complete story see Tuesday’s Peninsula Daily News, on sale in Jefferson County.