To Bucyrus Taxpayers and Voters,
On Tuesday, November 3rd, voters will have an opportunity to support our city parks.
A little background on this effort. Over the past several years, our community has lost upwards of 500 jobs due to manufacturing closings. That amounts to several hundred thousand dollars in lost income tax revenue for the city.
It has not been easy to make up for that shortfall. I know we don’t all agree on how the current City Council and administration should handle the budget. Get ten voters together, and you may get ten different opinions on what should be done.
The idea behind this levy is that we, as voters, have a direct say in how this additional income tax money is spent. The .10% (one-tenth of one percent) income tax amounts to approximately the cost of one cup of coffee per month for the average household. The money can only be spent on city-owned parks. The levy is for 4-years and then will need to be renewed.
The original proposal was for a .065% income tax dedicated solely to the swimming pool. That did not make sense to me, as the primary beneficiaries would be those who use the pool.
By increasing the amount to .10% (one-tenth of one percent), the levy would provide funding not only for the swimming pool but also for other city-owned park needs, including repairs for shelters, tennis courts, pickleball courts, the basketball court, and general maintenance. This way, the entire community benefits, not just those who use the swimming pool. And the mayor has promised Bucyrus City Taxpayers family members will swim FREE!
There is an added benefit to this effort. By passing the park/pool levy, approximately $150,000 annually that normally comes from the city’s general fund to maintain the parks would become available for other needs. Although this cannot legally be part of the levy itself, both City Council and the administration have pledged to use those savings to purchase two new police cruisers each year. Our current police cruisers are approaching ten years old.
The proposed levy addresses several community needs: maintaining our parks, reopening the swimming pool, and freeing up general fund dollars for police cruiser replacement.
This is not about politics or any elected officials. It is about our kids, our parks, and the quality of life in our community. Thousands of community members use our parks each year, and maintaining these facilities is an investment in the future of Bucyrus.
VOTE YES FOR THE PARK/POOL LEVY!
ONE CUP OF COFFEE A MONTH — AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY!
Fred Fischer
410 Stevens Court
Bucyrus, OH 44820