BOARDMAN Park district renewal levy to appear on Nov. ballot

The park district is supported by a total on 1-mill in property tax.
BOARDMAN -- A 0.3-mill renewal levy will appear on the ballot in November for the Boardman Township Park District.
District board members voted unanimously early today to place the levy on the ballot. The levy has been in place for more than 20 years.
The 0.3 mills generate $236,200 annually for the park district.
Park Superintendent Daniel Slagle said the 0.3-mill levy is one of three levies used to finance the park district. There is also a 0.6 mills voted levy and a 0.1 mills nonvoted levy. The combined revenue from all three levies is about $634,668.
The district encompasses only the township. It operates the township park and has about 40 acres of undeveloped land elsewhere in the township.
Park management
Slagle noted that the park district has managed to operate with the same tax levies for more than two decades. He said the district has bought recreational facilities valued at approximately $2.5 million and has acquired approximately 35 acres since 1991.
Park usage has also grown substantially over the last decade, said Slagle. The number of visitors since 1992, he said, has increased by about 65 percent, with about 850,000 people annually visiting the park. Increased usage, said Slagle, has also added to the expense of operating the park.
Slagle said only about 55 percent of the park's revenue is allocated for employee costs. The remaining funds are used to operate, maintain and improve the district, he said.