POULSBO — Though few in number, supporters of the 10th Avenue city hall site believe the numbers are on their side.

With signs advocating the downtown city hall location scattered across the city, Bill Lockard, Muriel Williams, Sherry White, Bob Monks, Robert Kellogg and former Mayor Donna Jean Bruce say the facts speak for themselves.

“The facts are very important,” Lockard said. “We hope people will read the information and pay attention.”

Groups on both sides of the city hall issue have worked hard on their information on the city’s Web site as well as what will be included in the county’s voters information guide, he said.

“We don’t have a campaign, and we don’t have an advertising budget,” Lockard said.

The council made its decision on the 10th Avenue site after a $50,000 due diligence study was completed, but it hasn’t spent a dime doing the same level of study on the downtown option, Bruce said.

“The council studied 10th Avenue and made a decision,” she said.

Now a group of people, many of whom don’t live in the city, have caused the council to reconsider that decision, she said.

“They shouldn’t be so influential on things that affect the city,” Bruce said.

With Poulsbo’s population expected to reach more than 14,000 by 2025, the city’s main access will remain State Route 305, Lockard said.

“The growth is going to be to the east, and 305 is the real main access,” Lockard said. “It’s the main thoroughfare through Poulsbo.”

Building city hall on 10th Avenue will make it easier to find, Bruce said, adding it is sometimes difficult to give simple directions to the current location.

“The main purpose of city hall is to conduct the business of its citizens. It should be easily accessible to a great number of people,” Williams said. “10th Avenue has that qualification.”

Citizens should be able to come to city hall and find adequate parking, which the 10th Avenue site would have, Williams said.

Moving city hall out of downtown would free up parking and perhaps create a parking solution for that busy district, Bruce said. The idea of the move tolling the death knell for downtown simply isn’t true, she said.

“Look at Gig Harbor, they moved their city hall out of town and no one has suffered,” Bruce s,aid.

Like Poulsbo, Gig Harbor has a downtown on the waterfront and if the building is moved to 10th Avenue, it would mirror Gig Harbor’s city hall, which is just a few blocks off of State Highway 16, Bruce said.

“Poulsbo’s downtown is unique with many shops and restaurants,” Lockard said. “It could be more useful to meet the needs of the residents of Poulsbo Place.”

All of the issues concerning the 10th Avenue site are known and with the downtown option there is nothing but unknowns, Bruce said.

“The 10th Avenue figures are accurate,” she said, referring to the due diligence study and other technical work done on the site.

In the end, supporters of the 10th Avenue site said they hope voters will make asmart choice and not be swayed by signs, Web sites or other advertising methods.

“We want people to make an informed decision,” Lockard said, adding that the facts clearly point to 10th Avenue as the best, most logical option.