A Short History of the Port of Tracyton
On June 1, 1929, voters in Tracyton approve the formation of the Port of Tracyton. Members of the Tracyton community, an unincorporated area of Kitsap County on Dyes Inlet, petitioned the Board of County Commissioners for the election in order to allow the purchase of a dock on the Tracyton waterfront. The dock will be used to facilitate access to Mosquito Fleet steamers that connect the area to downtown Bremerton, just across the Port Washington Narrows, and other towns on Puget Sound. But a year later the Manette Bridge will open and connect the Tracyton area with downtown Bremerton, decreasing use of the steamers. For several decades the port district is inactive except for providing access to the beach and to a boat launch. In the 1990s an effort is made to dissolve the Port, which culminates in a controversy among board members in 2002. The Port remains intact and in 2008 Tracyton voters approve a measure to expand the port district in order to increase the tax base and fund a series of projects that will enhance the community's waterfront facilities. In 2010 the Port is working to fund a new boat launch, a landing area for non-motorized boats, and picnic facilities.
From HistoryLink.org Essay 9497 by Jennifer Ott, August 01, 2010
Port of Tracyton Proposition 1 Fails
TRACYTON — The Port of Tracyton can't afford to upgrade and maintain facilities after a bid to expand its boundaries fell short.
The port asked some Bremerton residents if they wanted to join the district, but they voted 407-347 not to, even though its tax rate is the lowest of any port in Kitsap County. The cost is 4.2 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or $8.44 a year on a $200,000 home. The annexation would have almost doubled the port's revenue.
