By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph City Council members have voiced their support for placing a half-cent park sales tax on the August ballot.
Now, they've approved a list of park projects, should the sales tax be approved.
The council voted 9-0 Monday in favor of a list of projects and renovations that total around $50 million. St. Joseph Parks and Rec Director Chuck Kempf says there's an additional $10 million available for supplemental projects, should the tax pass.
"It's for the good of the community for a very long period of time," Kempf said. "The improvements we are proposing to the facilities will last for many years. The equipment we will get, if the tax passes, is a huge benefit immediately."
City officials project the half-cent city sales tax increase will raise between $50 million to $60 million before it expires in 10 years.
Kempf says the improvements from this amount would be made all across the city.
"This is a benefit to the community and to the citizens," said Kempf. "It benefits the parks department and our staff, simply because if we're replacing old systems with new, it reduces the effort we have to put in to maintaining things for at least a few years."
The Park Sales Tax Committee agreed on a proposed list of improvements should voters approve the tax, including improvements to Krug Park, the Aquatic Park, Phil Welch Stadium, the Bode Parks Complex, Hyde Park, the Civic Arena and smaller parks all across town.
A portion of the money would improve park restrooms and shelters. Another key investment, Kempf says, would be in new equipment. Around $4.2 million of this money would go toward equipment alone.
"We've really been lacking in that over the last 3-4 years," Kempf said. "We've only replaced six pieces of equipment over the last four years out of 140 pieces. So, that's not a very good ratio. We're hoping the replacement of the equipment really benefits the staff."
A new Aquatic Park Lap Pool and Northside Splash Park are two of the biggest projects on the approved list. Those two things combined would be about $9.7 million. But Kempf says even the smaller improvements, like new lighting at the ball fields, are just as important.
"That's a big thing," he said. "Those lights we have are old and are not really providing an appropriate lighting system for the people who are using those fields."
It's now up to the voters, but like city council, Kempf is confident that residents of St. Joseph will see the need for an investment in the city's park system. Or more broadly, an investment into the city's future.
"We need to continue providing good, quality facilities and new opportunities," Kempf said. "Sometimes, we get locked into the old traditional things and we don't look for those new recreational opportunities, and those are the things that really catch people's attention."
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