Dear Editor,
VOTERS GET TO DECIDE:
Ballots on the Parks, Trails and Recreation Center Bond are being mailed on Oct. 18 for a citywide ask of $143m. There are various aspects of this proposal which have not been part of the public conversation. I want to share basically an overview:
The priority of the City is public safety. This ballot question changes that focus as now the City is moving towards a 20-year debt of over $200 million. How will this multimillion-dollar bond address public safety needs?
Timing is a major issue for taxpayers. With increased property taxes, rent, and inflationary costs on everyday necessities, the proponents are asking you to pay more, and, oh, cut out on those two coffees a month to pay your fair share! Taxpayers will be asked to consider more options within the community in 2-5 years as in a jail expansion, a SD2 bond, possibly a MetraPark renovation. If this bond passes, the City will also be asking for an operations and maintenance levy in 3-5 years. So you have the opportunity to prioritize your NEEDS in the city.
Operations, maintenance, management, private sector buy-in, public subsidy, user fees and costs are all uncertainties at this point. I am not confident that the projects will be completed within the proposed budget. There have not been design or master plans for some of the projects so the city will be starting new parks without finishing others.
As a fiscal conservative, taking into consideration the financial struggles of many families in our city, I cannot ask them to pay for a bond without giving a more balanced approach in making this decision.
Please remember that your vote counts in these local elections. Don’t let someone else make the decision for you!
Pam Purinton,
Ward 4 City Council Member.
