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Levy renewal heads to council By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings The levy that funds extracurricular activities for Ashland School District students is a step closer to coming before voters for renewal. On Monday night, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously voted to include the levy in its budget. "The Youth Activities Levy speaks to the core values of the parks department," said Commissioner Mike Gardiner. The Ashland City Council still must agree to place the issue on the ballot in the May election. The levy has been included as an item in the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department's budget since it was first approved by voters in 1994. The parks department distributes the money - approximately $1.7 million per year- to the school district, keeping about $119,000 annually for parks recreation programs. City voters passed the levy to make up for school budget cuts that resulted from state-wide voters in 1990 approving Measure 5, which limited property taxes. In the past, the levy has been passed and renewed for three-year increments. But the Ashland School District Board of Education may ask for a five-year renewal of the levy, school board members told parks commissioners. Board members also have yet to decide if they will ask for an increase in the levy rate, which now stands at $1.38 per $1,000 in assessed property value. Oregon voters decide today whether to pass Measure 28 and raise their income taxes temporarily to stave off state budget cuts due to the faltering economy. "The decision will be easier to hold it (the levy) where it is if Measure 28 passes," said Amy Amrhein, school board member. "There may be some consideration of raising it if Measure 28 goes down." The school board will meet Feb. 10 to decide the issue, according to Ashland School District Superintendent Juli Di Chiro. Even without a rate increase, the Youth Activities Levy could bring in more money for schools. State law allows a 3 percent increase in the assessed value of property, and assessments on projected new construction could raise levy revenues by another 1.5 percent, according to Chuck Keil, a school board member. The levy could bring in an estimated $1.75 to $1.8 million per year with no rate increase, he said. To allow the school district to receive more money from the rising revenues, the parks department would continue to retain $119,000 rather than seeking an increased amount or a fixed percentage of the levy, according to Ken Mickelsen, parks director. School board members said they hope Ashlanders will continue to support the levy. "We live in a remarkable community and voters have demonstrated that," Keil said. In other business, the parks commission: heard concerns from resident Len Eisenberg that the parks-owned Oak Knoll Public Golf Course may not be financially viable if the Billings property is developed into a golf course. The commission agreed to discuss the issue at a study session or regular meeting; voted to allow horses to continue boarding on undeveloped park land on Hersey Street, and agreed to consider a future proposal for a compatible community garden at the site; voted to allow Paul Kay to continue refining a natural water treatment system in Lithia Park's lower duck pond. The commission will evaluate the effectiveness of the system in September; directed parks staff to continue working with City of Ashland staff to explore the possibility of storm run-off ponds on land along Bear Creek that could be donated to the parks system; and, agreed to have the newly formed Ashland Public Arts Commission review a proposed donation of a sculpture of bears to the parks system LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -