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.