Prairie Village Ward 4 City Council candidates: Funding our parks

Today, the candidates for the Ward 4 City Council seat share their views on funding for Prairie Village parks:

3.) Do you support the idea of finding a dedicated revenue source to fund the city’s Parks Master Plan? If so, what should that funding source be?

Brooke Moorehead

How did Prairie Village get itself into a situation where, as presented by Mr. Beckerman and other sales-tax proponents, we must raise taxes to fund parks? It is because we wastefully spend money we don’t have. The Tomahawk fence debacle is an example.

There already exists a funding source for parks. It’s called the parks Capital Improvement Budget (Parks CIP). Council members decide how much money to dedicate to Parks each year when they prepare our budget. If the Parks Master Plan (PMP) is a priority, then the Council can choose to allocate more funds to the Parks CIP for specific PMP elements. Franklin Park and Weltner Park were rebuilt using almost $2,000,000 of our cash savings. No sales tax required!

Mr. Beckerman may say of the proposed sales tax increase, “Why not give the people a chance to vote on it?” However, I believe this is a misleading question. Sales-tax proponents tell us we can vote for the extra taxes, which will impose a sales tax in PV Kansas that is greater than tourist destinations like NYC, Las Vegas, Vail, and Honolulu. Or, they say, “We may not be able to fund parks to your liking.” In this scenario pro-sales-tax Council Members conveniently forget they already have the ability to fund parks via our yearly budgeting process.

Our parks are an asset and they deserve to be a high priority at budget time. It’s the Council’s fiduciary responsibility to provide our City with a sensible tax rate. A tax rate that is fair to residents and businesses. As with our homes or businesses, we must set priorities and live within our means.

Instead of asking you to vote for a new sales tax, I’m asking you to vote for a new council member. I need your support! www.brookeforpv.com

Tim Pickell

Without a doubt, our City parks are exceptional. They are used by many and offer all of us with eye-pleasing areas that tremendously help our property values.  That fact cannot be overstated. That being said, our City must spend our hard-earned dollars to maintain or improve our parks.  While most would currently oppose any tax increases in general, including me, it makes sense to consider putting to our vote the question of whether our citizens are willing to pay any additional taxes for the parks. If the vote was “yes,” I’d want any proposal to have a “sunset” to it, to assure any added tax would have a definite end date, only continuing if approved by future voters. This would at least help avoid the perception most of us have that once “those politicians” increase our taxes, they continue forever!

Dale Beckerman (incumbent)

Our parks are among our most important assets. The City’s issues with expenditures for parks actually have two components.

1. Many parks have not been “remodeled” since they were originally built as the City developed. The Parks Master Plan presents concepts for significant upgrades of the City’s parks.

Franklin was the first park to be redone. Weltner followed. Both are beautiful.

The estimated cost of performing all the upgrades in the Plan is about $15,000,000. Franklin and Weltner together cost less than $2,000,000.

2. Separate from the recommendations in the Master Plan, many parks need substantial and expensive repairs. For example, Windsor needs extensive asphalt repairs that may cost around $100,000.

Since the recession of 2007-08, the City budget has tightened. (The budget must be balanced or the County will not accept it). Every program has to compete for dollars. After funding improvements to Franklin and Weltner, the Council has not funded additional Master Plan projects.

The City budgets several hundred thousand dollars annually to care for parks. That pays for mowing, cleaning and light maintenance and replacement. There has been no room in the budget for major capital upkeep.

The Parks Committee is preparing a proposal to place a sales tax for parks on the November ballot. I have not seen the proposal. Likely, the proposal will split the proceeds between Master Plan projects and capital upkeep. Depending on its terms, I can support asking the voters if they care enough about park enhancement to support it financially.

However, unless we ignore our obligations to the next generation of caretakers, overall capital maintenance (primarily streets) is going to require more funding in the future – possibly through mill levy increases. If there is to be a vote on a sales tax, voters must be aware other work is coming.

Tomorrow, the candidates identify the issues they consider most pressing for the ward and the city:

4.) What’s the biggest issue facing Ward 4 right now? What’s the biggest issue facing the city as a whole?