Funding for parks, trails rejected in Licking County

Levy failure might lead to closures, director says
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 02:56 AM
By Josh Jarman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Licking County residents will lose access to parks, and county bike trails will not receive needed maintenance next year, as voters yesterday rejected a county park district levy. The request was rejected by about 52 percent of the vote in final, unofficial returns. The 0.2-mill, 5-year property-tax levy would have raised about $737,060 a year for district operations and cost property owners about $6 a year per $100,000 of home value. The park district’s budget was cut by more than 50percent this year as part of an overall 10 percent reduction in the county budget. County funding makes up 90percent of the district’s budget, which is why officials have said parks would close next year without new revenue. Director Russell Edgington said the reductions eliminated the district’s maintenance fund, so administrative staff members are doing their best to keep up more than 2,000 acres of green space and 28 miles of bike trails. He said if unmaintained bike trails and parks start to cause liability issues, they will have to be closed to the public. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/11/03/copy/funding-for-parks-trails-rejected.html?adsec=politics&sid=101