Decision 2010
Millage up for renewal to aid parks
Oakland County voters will be asked Aug. 3 to approve a 10 year renewal of the countywide parks millage.
The 0.2415-mill property tax renewal would cost the owner of a home with a taxable value of $87,500 about $21 a year. It would raise an estimated $12.4 million in 2011, about 60% of the county parks budget, communi cations director Desiree Stan field said.
The budget pays for facilities and maintenance of 13 county parks, as well as some programs at community parks, and tech nical assistance for community recreation departments, Stan field said.
Oakland’s parks, although mostly far from the county’s southeast communities, lower their flood risks while raising their property values, Michigan Suburbs Alliance executive di rector Conan Smith said.
Ferndale resident Dan Har teau, 59, said he opposed the millage renewal because “if I’m putting $21 into parks, I’d put it into our local parks.”
Ernst Community Classroom located @ 1580 Scott Lake Rd in Waterford, MI 48328
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Getting the Word Out
Bringing the park closer to home
Oakland County residents hope millage passes
By BILL LAITNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
On Tuesday night, Oakland County Parks boss Dan Stencil plans to speak to Pleasant Ridge leaders as colleagues a mile away in Huntington Woods talk about why voters should renew the county’s parks millage Aug. 3.
On Thursday, county parks workers will hold a free out door concert of Motown at their newest park, Catalpa Oaks in Southfield, which opened in 2007.
Each event is part of a multi year campaign to show that Oakland’s sprawling park sys tem has ramped up communi cations, programs and facilities in the county’s southeast quad rant, where residents have long resented paying for parks far from their homes. Now, with more programs nearby, that resentment has eased, although the county should do more, said County Commis sioner Dave Coulter, D-Fern dale.
“What happens after this millage passes? Will we be ig nored again?” Coulter said.
He and other south-end leaders favor what Wayne County did to spread park re sources across the county, ear marking 15% of funds to munic ipal parks, in effect handing money back to budget strapped communities through proposals made by county commissioners and local lead ers.
“We don’t just send them a check. It has to go for capital improvements to a park,” As sistant Wayne County Execu tive Alan Helmkamp said.
Macomb County’s park sys tem lacks a millage or other revenue to support it through the county’s budget cutbacks.
Of Oakland County’s 13 parks, nine are near or north of M-59, about 15 miles north of the county’s urban south end.
Stencil said that he and his staff have spoken in more than a dozen communities south of 14 Mile and east of Telegraph since May, asking voters to re new the county’s 10-year parks millage.
The .2415-mill property tax costs the owner of a $175,000 home about $21 a year and ac counts for 60% of the county parks budget, communications director Desiree Stanfield said. The proposed renewal would raise $12.4 million in 2011, she said.
At Thursday’s concert, county workers plan to hand out pro-millage yard signs in a park the county almost sold to a developer in 2006, until County Commissioner Helene Zack, D-Huntington Woods, spoke out.
Although the south end lacks big swaths of wild land, there could be compact dog parks and bike paths, she said. “But we keep seeing parks expansion in the north.”
Oakland County residents hope millage passes
By BILL LAITNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
On Tuesday night, Oakland County Parks boss Dan Stencil plans to speak to Pleasant Ridge leaders as colleagues a mile away in Huntington Woods talk about why voters should renew the county’s parks millage Aug. 3.
On Thursday, county parks workers will hold a free out door concert of Motown at their newest park, Catalpa Oaks in Southfield, which opened in 2007.
Each event is part of a multi year campaign to show that Oakland’s sprawling park sys tem has ramped up communi cations, programs and facilities in the county’s southeast quad rant, where residents have long resented paying for parks far from their homes. Now, with more programs nearby, that resentment has eased, although the county should do more, said County Commis sioner Dave Coulter, D-Fern dale.
“What happens after this millage passes? Will we be ig nored again?” Coulter said.
He and other south-end leaders favor what Wayne County did to spread park re sources across the county, ear marking 15% of funds to munic ipal parks, in effect handing money back to budget strapped communities through proposals made by county commissioners and local lead ers.
“We don’t just send them a check. It has to go for capital improvements to a park,” As sistant Wayne County Execu tive Alan Helmkamp said.
Macomb County’s park sys tem lacks a millage or other revenue to support it through the county’s budget cutbacks.
Of Oakland County’s 13 parks, nine are near or north of M-59, about 15 miles north of the county’s urban south end.
Stencil said that he and his staff have spoken in more than a dozen communities south of 14 Mile and east of Telegraph since May, asking voters to re new the county’s 10-year parks millage.
The .2415-mill property tax costs the owner of a $175,000 home about $21 a year and ac counts for 60% of the county parks budget, communications director Desiree Stanfield said. The proposed renewal would raise $12.4 million in 2011, she said.
At Thursday’s concert, county workers plan to hand out pro-millage yard signs in a park the county almost sold to a developer in 2006, until County Commissioner Helene Zack, D-Huntington Woods, spoke out.
Although the south end lacks big swaths of wild land, there could be compact dog parks and bike paths, she said. “But we keep seeing parks expansion in the north.”
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Meeting: Oakland County Parks Management July 14, 2010 10:00AM
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