|
January 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes Continued -
<br />Board Updates
<br />Open Space and Parks Funding
<br />Ballot Measures Establishing and Continuing Funding for Open Space and Parks
<br />Ballot Question A initiated through voter petition and approved by Louisville voters in
<br />1993 authorized a ten-year, 318% sales and use tax with the revenue from the tax to be
<br />used, "exclusively for the acquisition of land in and around the City of Louisville for open
<br />space buffer zones, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands preservation and future parks".
<br />Following that question, in 1994, the City Council placed a measure on the ballot and
<br />Louisville voters approved Ballot Issue 2B. This Ballot Issue increased the City's debt by
<br />$4.2 million, with a repayment cost of $5.8 million, for the purpose of, "acquiring land for
<br />open space buffer zones, trails, wild life habitats, wetlands preservation and future parks
<br />and all necessary and appurtenant facilities", with the debt repaid out of revenues from the
<br />City's Open Space Sales and Use Tax (approved through the 1993 Ballot Question A).
<br />Then in 2002, with the 10-year tax approved in 1993 set to expire in 2004, the City Council
<br />placed another measure on the ballot. That Ballot Measure 2D, approved by Louisville
<br />voters in 2002 authorized a 10-year 318% sales and use tax with revenue from the tax to
<br />be used, "exclusively for the acquisition of land in an around the City of Louisville for
<br />open space buffer zones, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands preservation and future
<br />parks; and for the development, construction, operation and maintenance of such open
<br />space zones, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands and parks".
<br />Finally, in 2012, with the 10-year tax approved in 2002 set to expire in 2014, the City
<br />Council placed another measure on the ballot. That Ballot Measure 2A, approved by
<br />Louisville voters in 2012, also authorized a 10-year 318% sales and use tax with
<br />revenue from the tax, as also stated in the 2002 Ballot Measure 2D, to be used,
<br />"exclusively for the acquisition of land in an around the City of Louisville for open space
<br />buffer zones, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands preservation and future parks; and for the
<br />development, construction, operation and maintenance of such open space zones,
<br />trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands and parks".
<br />While Louisville voters have twice approved ballot measures providing clear authority to
<br />spend revenue from the sales and use tax on the development, construction, operation
<br />and maintenance of open space, trails, wildlife habitat, wetlands and parks, the origin of
<br />the City's funding for open space and parks —and the limitation in the 1993 ballot
<br />question restricting use of the funds to land acquisition only —still influences the way
<br />many people view how the 318% tax revenue should be used today. This perspective
<br />could also affect the continued community support for the tax. Consequently, it is very
<br />important to clearly show the sources and uses of all funding for all aspects of the City's
<br />open space and parks programs, to ensure the City maintains sufficient resources to
<br />acquire properties on the City's Open Space Candidate Properties list, and to have
<br />clear policies to guide management of the Open Space and Parks Fund.
<br />Accounting for Open Space and Parks Fund Revenues and Expenditures
<br />With the above history in mind, staff has divided the 2015 Open Space and Parks Fund
<br />budget into expenditures for Open Space Administration and Operations; Parks
<br />
|