With levy, Wayne County Park District wants to add parks
Barnes Preserve, located on Sylvan Road southeast of Wooster, is Wayne County’s only park. With passage of the proposed levy on the Nov. 5 ballot, the Wayne County Park District hopes to have funds for a variety of purposes including operating, promoting, maintaining, improving, acquiring and developing lands for the conservation of natural resources and recreational use.
Anew strategic plan called A Path Forward has been developed by the Wayne County Park District.
In order to take the plan — which would include taking the number of county parks from one to seven — to reality, a tax levy on the Nov. 5 ballot would need to pass.
The levy will establish a new property tax to benefit the Wayne County Park District. The funds will be used for a variety of purposes including operating, promoting, maintaining, improving, acquiring and developing lands for the conservation of natural resources and recreational use. The proposed tax rate is 0.5 mills per $1 of taxable property value, which equates to $18 for every $100,000 of appraised property value. The levy is designed to last for 10 years and will require a majority vote to pass.
Phil Grimm is a Wayne County Parks commissioner and volunteer with the Citizens for Wayne County Parks Political Action Committee.
When asked about the specifics of the levy, Grimm said, “The lack of funding has severely limited the development of parks and trails in Wayne County. Parks and trails greatly improve the quality of life, and the people of Wayne County are ready to support the funding needed to make this happen.”
Grimm said although the Wayne County Park District was created in 1991, it has never received public funding. “Passage of a small 0.5 mill property tax levy will allow the park district to function as it was envisioned 33 years ago,” he said.
Currently, the only property developed by the district is The Barnes Preserve, an 83-acre woodland donated several years ago. However, it has yet to open to the public due to the lack of funding.
In 1999 the Wayne County Commissioners leased 76 acres of unused land from the County Home to the park district. Still challenged by a lack of funds, the land remained unused until 2007 when a new group of park commissioners set about creating a park on the land utilizing volunteers, grants and donations.
Today, Barnes Preserve provides Wayne County residents with the opportunity to explore nature through its trail, which passes through a variety of native habitats. A picnic shelter provides opportunities for gatherings and meetings.
A Path Forward emphasizes partnerships with several local organizations. During a recent public meeting, representatives from these organizations gave presentations to explain their roles in the plan.
Andy McDowell, representing the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, discussed the Kister Mill, located north of Shreve, and additional lands south of Burbank that the conservancy intends to donate. McDowell’s presentation included photographs of the mill and details about potential trail developments on the donated properties.
Rails to Trails plans to donate approximately 100 acres of land it owns near a future Wayne County Trail and also hopes to collaborate with the park district on maintaining and expanding the network of trails already built.
To clarify the park district’s role, Grimm said The Barnes Preserve is the only park currently maintained by the Wayne County Park District. Most cities within Wayne County, such as Wooster, operate their own parks. Wooster Memorial Park, for instance, is a rural park, but its land was donated directly to the city. Rails to Trails of Wayne County, a nonprofit organization, has built trails across the county but lacks public funding to maintain them.
Should the levy pass, the park district plans to expand its capacity by improving and maintaining existing rural parks and trails.
“If the levy is approved, Wayne County Park District will be able to accept the donation of several properties that will become new parks,” Grimm said.
Additionally, the district intends to offer nature education programs for schools and individuals alike.
Grimm also said surrounding counties including Ashland County have already implemented public funding for their park districts.
“They have been able to provide their residents with more parks and trails than we have in Wayne County,” he said. “Ashland County passed its first levy just a few years ago and has already accomplished incredible things.”
At present the Wayne County Park District operates without employees, equipment or even an office. The district is managed by unpaid volunteers who serve three-year terms after being appointed by the Probate Court judge. While the levy will not change this structure, the strategic plan includes a detailed budget outlining expenditures over the 10-year levy period. If passed, the district intends to hire an experienced park director to oversee the plan’s implementation.
On the flip side, if the levy fails, the park district will be unable to develop new parks or trails and will miss out on potential land donations from partners.
“The 0.5 mill levy will provide a huge benefit from a small investment,” Grimm said. “This would be the smallest countywide levy, and Wayne County Parks wants to follow The Path Forward. It’s a plan that just makes sense.”
In the park district’s strategic plan, it lists what levy funds will be used for: staffing, office space, equipment, operating costs, programming, capital improvements and land acquisition.
By having a source of local funding (the levy passing), the park district hopes to multiply local tax dollars with grant funding from other sources. Further, local landowners have approached the park district with potential donations or bargain sales of properties to create new park sites. Without a source of funds, the park district has not been able to accept these offers.
The park board has pledged not to use eminent domain to acquire land.