Williston Park Board members have described it as such because if it is implemented, it wouldn’t be any more than what people are paying now in the city for sales tax. The park district sales tax would replace the Williston Public School District 1 sales tax when the district tax ends.
“It’s an issue of semantics,” said Larry Grondahl, park board president.
“It’s at 7.5 percent, and if we pass it, it will still be 7.5 percent...if it went to 8.5 percent, that’s a new tax,” Grondahl said.
Williston Parks and Recreation Director Darin Krueger agreed. A cheeseburger at McDonald’s is $1.07 with tax, and it would still be that price with a park district sales tax, Krueger said. For several months, the park board has tossed around the idea of having a sales tax to generate more money for much-needed projects at the Raymond Family Community Center, the golf course, Eckert Youth Pool, ball fields and parks that have been put on hold because there isn’t enough money.
Projects at the Raymond Center include siding, upgrading exercise equipment and the concessions area and skate park upgrades at a cost of $1,635,000. Then there’s driving range improvements, clubhouse repairs and more cart storage, with those projects totaling $901,000. Park improvements that include renovating bathrooms, playground surfacing, irrigation and fencing, and upgrading locker rooms, lifeguard stands and the filtration system at Eckert Youth Pool all total $2,279,000.
There’s not enough money in the park district budget to complete their projects. For the 2009 budget, the park district is to receive $1,616,056.90, which includes revenue and $963,208.58 from its property tax mill levy.
If the sales tax is implemented, the park district plans to completely, or partially, drop its mill levy. Currently, park district residents pay 8.5 percent of their property taxes to the park district.
That would go down to about 3.5 or 4 percent, or it’d be completely gone, Grondahl said. Park Board officials are considering keeping the pension, social security, special assessments, construction and recreation levies because they have been advised by their attorney these levies may be difficult to get back if the sales tax didn’t pass, he said.
“The goal is to drop the entire levy,” Grondahl said.
If the park district kept the five levies, the total budget would go from $2.2 million to $3.3 million, with $400,000 still set aside for the matching grant fund.
Through the sales tax, the park district would receive about $2.2 million a year, said Grondahl.
In a break down of how the tax revenue would be used, $1.3 million would go to operations, $250,000 would be used for projects, $150,000 would be used for equipment, $100,000 would be saved in reserves and $400,000 would be used as a 50-50 matching grant fund.
Grondahl and Krueger are excited about the possibility of a matching grant fund. With this, if an entity such as Williston High School or a nearby community needed to upgrade its park, the Williston park district would provide half the cost of the project.
Park district officials believe it’s important for people in outlying communities to know about this, as well as Williston residents, because people who shop in Williston pay the sales tax.
“Obviously, they’re paying for this, too,” Grondahl said.
The park district would like the sales tax to be on the ballot in time for the June 2010 election. In an effort to move forward, there are plans to have a committee put together by July that is to study the sales tax.
The committee is to consist of community members, perhaps some people from the Friends of Parks and Recreation organization, Krueger said.
There are also plans for public forums, as Grondahl and Krueger said they are willing to travel to talk to groups about the sales tax. If anyone is interested in joining the committee, or has questions or concerns about the sales tax, they are encouraged to call Krueger at 577-5141.
Comments
Hockey Mom wrote on Jul 15, 2009 1:14 PM:
sic of taxes wrote on Jul 14, 2009 4:48 PM:
bball 87 wrote on Jul 14, 2009 1:59 PM:
Pathetic "
Agreed wrote on Jul 14, 2009 12:30 PM:
billy wrote on Jul 13, 2009 12:26 PM:
did you know the parks and rec has many programs...girls fastpitch, kids in the park, swimming lessons, volleyball, softball, soccer, football, basketball, tennis, track, cross country, youth golf....etc etc...
do some research before you post. It is not about baseball only. They have 200+ kids in the baseball program(which the baseball committe raises funds to help pay for i.e. Raffles and fundraisers) ....150+ kids in the girls Fastpitch program...Tennis, golf and football are all programs that are growing rapidly.....Just called them and asked ...they were more than willing to give me what I asked for....wasnt hard to do...
Looks to me that they spend money on other recreation programs and not just a white ball with stitches for boys.
What about parks...do you want them green? have to water them (that costs $ also) do you want them clean (short staffed already I know)....but they try... I saw the Director on July 4th picking up trash at the park...
where are all the people that support the parks and rec? why is this board just about complaints...less than 1% of the people post and they always bash the public entities...
School, PR, City, County, Vector...they never do enough for you do they?
GIVE ME A BREAK!
Billy "
life resident wrote on Jul 12, 2009 8:27 AM:
sic of taxes wrote on Jul 9, 2009 2:58 PM:
Agreed wrote on Jul 9, 2009 2:18 PM:
billy wrote on Jul 9, 2009 9:48 AM:
At least they are thinking outside the box....hmmm...lets see...
They could just ask for the 1cent sales tax...but no...they are looking at ways to decrease the mill levy...which would decrease your property taxes in Williston....for out of town people they want to give back in the form of grants....
At least they are thinking about you and ways to help vs just adding a sales tax...
Give it time...look into it...ask questions before posting and attacking them....I hear every day...this is bad and this is broken...they are trying to find a way to make things better for you and your kids...and the kids out of town....not such a bad concept in my mind!
Might just be a great thing for Williston and the surrounding area!
Billy "
TJ wrote on Jul 9, 2009 6:35 AM:
sic of taxes wrote on Jul 8, 2009 9:38 AM:
Al wrote on Jul 7, 2009 10:32 PM:
Paul Johansen wrote on Jul 7, 2009 9:56 AM:
I have lived in Williston for ten years and have yet to see a new expenditure opposed by the Herald. School tax, sales tax, new mosquito control taxes (the last increase really helped, didn't it)? On and on. I wonder when common sense will hit? "
Resident wrote on Jul 7, 2009 1:05 AM:
Headward wrote on Jul 6, 2009 3:50 PM:
FrstKnt wrote on Jul 5, 2009 11:32 AM:
Fast forward 233 years...and not much has changed. The entire region is already paying for a Junior High School for Williston. Do we use this building? The answer is no, we do not. Our kids do not attend school there, they attend school in our own schools, for which WE ARE ALREADY PAYING!!!
Now Grondahl and the park board want a new sales tax to pay for the Parks and Recreation in Williston. We have our own parks and recreation for which WE ARE ALREADY PAYING!!!
Trying to tell us it is not a new tax is bogus. Nice sales job...no really, nice sales job. The fact is that the current sales tax is set to end when the bonding for the junior high school is paid. Therefore, at that time, the sales tax would be 6.5% in Williston. By passing this new tax, the tax would remain at 7.5%.
While the overall rate would remain the same, the tax dollars raised have a new purpose. Therefore, it's a new tax.
Yes, it's all a matter of semantics.
I do not live in Williston. I don't use the parks there. The idea of this tax makes me angrier than any I've seen before...I have to pay property taxes to pay for my parks, why shouldn't you folks in Williston pay for your own?
You want to continue to drive people away from shopping in Williston? Keep trying to make us pay for your projects. Keep taxing us without allowing us to vote on it.
Amazon.com and Drugstore.com here I come! "
Keith wrote on Jul 5, 2009 10:51 AM: