» Parks fee goes to ballot

By Amy Moss Strong
Editor
Thursday, December 11, 2008 | 1 comment(s) City of Bandon electric customers will be asked in a March election whether they want to pay $2 a month to help maintain the City Park and fund future parks.

The City Council voted 5-1 to place the measure on the ballot, with Mike Claassen saying no.

“In support of no taxes, we’re talking about trails that don’t exist in a plan that hasn’t been passed,” said Claassen. “This is a piece-meal tax that we shouldn’t be pushing.”

The Parks and Recreation Commission completed a parks master plan, ultimately determining there aren’t enough funds to properly maintain the city’s existing facilities, much less the new ones laid out in the plan.

Additional parks, playgrounds, walking paths and other recreational facilities are planned, but unless sufficient funds are available to ensure their proper maintenance, those plans cannot be carried out, according to City Manager Matt Winkel.

The fee would provide funding to pay wages for a full-time parks maintenance employee and associated materials, equipment, and supplies dedicated exclusively to maintaining the city’s parks and recreation facilities. “A tax by any other name is still a tax,” said Councilor Joe Briscoe. “I think it would be defeated. I’m in favor of taking care of parks, but I don’t think voters would approve it.”

Councilor Nancy Drew disagreed.

“The way this is written, the people would support it,” she said. “I’m sure most residents know we can’t continue to have these gorgeous parks and walking trails and continue to maintain them. I feel it’s a really small fee.”

Council President Blythe Tiffany said the fee would not just be for future parks, but for taking care of what already exists.

“We’re not doing that,” Tiffany said. “We’ll have to sell it, but it’s worth a try.” 

Roger Straus, a planning commissioner who was at the meeting, said establishing such a fee is an example of good government. “You can’t build 20 parks and just expect them to be maintained,” Straus said.

Councilor-elect Claudine Hundhausen said it has been the City Council’s goal to promote economic development, and the parks fee would give them an opportunity to create a full-time position.

The city charter requires voter consent to increase certain rates, fees, and charges, so a parks maintenance fee would require voter approval.

The fee would generate an estimated $88,752 annually, Winkel said, based on 3,698 meters both inside and outside the city limits. The fee would not be a utility charge and not subject to the city’s 10 percent utility sales tax, Winkel added.