By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
The same elements designed to make a half-mill, four-year (2006-09) park proposal more politically palatable could hinder its passage in some quarters. Voters decide the issue Nov. 7.
About two dozen people discussed the proposal at the Cass County Democracy Club meeting Wednesday night at Round Oak Restaurant.
For Silver Creek Township residents, the sticking point might be disbursing the municipality half of the $720,166 revenue the millage would generate the first year by a population formula.
A few Dowagiac citizens who distrust the city administration complain that the Parks and Recreation Board must be opened to public input and scrutiny before they would feel comfortable with how their $42,339.89 first-year share might be expended.
County Commissioner Johnie Rodebush, D-Howard Township, moderated the discussion.
Up to 50 percent of the $720,166 raised the first year would be distributed to the city, villages and 15 townships of Cass County for local parks and recreation systems, as determined by the Board of Commissioners, and the $360,083 remainder utilized by the county parks department, which, among other goals, wants to acquire Arthur Dodd Memorial Park on Creek Road near Sumnerville from the state.
"The county would certainly like to be able to buy it," Rodebush said, "because once parks are given up and sold to private business, they're gone. We want to leave some tracks here for the future generations, like some of the people who came along ahead of us looked out for places to get out with the family and enjoy the outdoors."
Dodd Park is among the county's three largest, after Dr. T.K. Lawless Park southeast of Vandalia and Russ Forest Park between Dowagiac and Marcellus.
"You could hold back some of the money and save it for grants match," Rodebush said, "if the overall grant is for recreation. Since 1979, we've retained 20 percent more land and we've got 80 percent less staff working at the Parks Department (Director Scott Wyman). Many facilities have not received significant improvements in several years because we haven't had the money, and operational costs have continued to increase."
Well-kept parks would attract visitors from outside the community who spend their dollars here, county officials contend.
Without dedicated millage, parks and recreation facilities cannot be adequately operated and maintained. The county, townships, villages and Dowagiac are unable to preserve open space, increase recreation or conduct special events. The city's system of 12 parks encompasses 250 acres. This is the third try, but the first with shared revenue. The county by itself in 2001 and in 2002 asked for a quarter mill.
Passage would allow the county to hire a fulltime employee and two seasonal workers.
Capital improvements for Russ Forest include new play equipment and new bathrooms. County parks are not handicapped accessible.
The boat launch at West Harmon Park would be improved.
Lawless Park's wish list includes a paved parking area, an ice skating rink, rental facilities for the 18-hole disc golf course and mountain bike trail.
New restrooms and play equipment are also slated for Dodd Park if the request passes, as well as paved parking and development of an after-hours canoe landing.
Point Park is designated for a "get-wet area," where young children can wade and splash.
Applications would be reviewed by a seven-member Recreation Enhancement Committee, with final approval resting with the Board of Commissioners.
A Silver Creek resident argued that because of its tax base, his township would be paying some $98,000 annually to receive $24,597.86. "For every dollar we give to the county, we're going to get 25 cents back. My problem is you pay it on your SEV and you're going to get it back on population. A great deal of my neighbors aren't residents and their houses are worth far more than the $50,000 you're talking about that it's going to cost us in pizza and beer. We have 3,500 residents and a far greater amount of taxpayers. Silver Creek Township currently has no parks of any kind unless they were developed by individual subdivisions. How much money is coming from Dowagiac into the kitty? I probably don't" ever cross township lines for recreation
"Amen," added a Howard Township man.
Jim Kladis, Democratic challenger to Chairman Robert Wagel for the Board of Commissioners, commented, "(The county) is going to take control of this levy if you all agree to accept this new tax, you have to be eligible and live up to their criteria. If you don't like what they're doing and controlling this whole thing – and they're going to get the lion's share – and dictate where they money goes based on you qualifying for it. You get the choice. Don't sit here and argue about these little things. That's the bottom line you've got to decide. You either want someone controlling 75 percent of the money you're going to put into it or you don't."
Rodebush compared the proposed distribution to gas taxes being returned to the Road Commission with restrictions on how it can be spent, such as for road repair, but not to reroof the garage. "And somebody has to be accountable for it."
Rodebush said a formula based on tax base "would not be fair to smaller units. They wouldn't get hardly anything. I guess you're trying to find out if you get back every penny you pay in. No, you don't. If your home is valued at $50,000 and its taxable value is $25,000, your taxes on that half-mill would be $12.50 a year, which is about the cost of two medium-size pizzas. St. Clair County has been doing it this way five years at a time and it's working for them. Two or three units of government could go together and make a walking trail, a biking trail, a snowmobile trail across several townships, so long as the money is spent in Cass County. St. Clair County, I understand, has nearly 50 miles of trails. What we have been able to do with the parks has been through hundreds of thousands of dollars of grants we leveraged over the years. So many rural communities don't have places for kids to go to ride their bikes. It's not safe out on the streets. With a minimal investment, the voters of Cass County have an opportunity to provide a tremendous legacy. The possibilities are endless. This proposal is a win-win situation for residents, visitors and the future of Cass County."
Judy Corak of Pokagon Township said, "I would support the millage if Dowagiac had open government through an amendment requiring open parks and recreation boards to allow public access to participate in this program. That's just good government. I don't mind paying the taxes because I can use parks all over the county. I don't feel like just because Pokagon has a small population and we don't get a lot back. I'm next to Dowagiac and could use its facilities. I'm glad to see the proposed cooperation between the parks and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians because environmentally they pay attention, where the city hasn't in its development. The parks plan helps protect endangered species. We should be extremely concerned about our animal and plant life on the edge that we can protect."
A young woman asked when Dowagiac's park board meets so she could attend.
"Our parks and recreation board, as well as the PAL (Police Athletic League) board are closed to the public," Howard Hall said. "You can't go to them and ask, 'Would you spend X amount of dollars on this project?' The way this is worded works in most places, but not Dowagiac. If Dowagiac gets this money, there is no way possible for you as a resident to go in front of the parks and recreation board and ask them to do something with that money. They will make a decision on their own, it will go to our City Council, which will approve it, and you're left out of the equation. Every other parks and recreation board in Cass County is open to the public. Why does Dowagiac deserve taxpayer money if taxpayers don't have a say in how it's spent?"
"So you want the county commissioners to make Dowagiac open up its meetings to the people to hear what they have to say?" asked President Maxine Snipes of Cassopolis. "Absolutely," Hall said. "In Dowagiac, the $42,000 would be spent on mowers to mow the baseball fields. How does that benefit any kids or families?"
"If your government won't cooperate," Snipes said, "it's time to get a new government."
"If you don't get out and do something for yourself, it's not going to happen," Rodebush said. "It's up to the citizens of Dowagiac. I don't feel sorry for you if you don't do something about it enmasse. I can't solve all your problems in Dowagiac, but I bet if I lived here I'd try."
Jo Anne Wood of Dowagiac doesn't want to see the city get a big chunk of money from the county when it doesn't have an open parks and recreation board. She feels the city discourages public participation.