Document text
--> --> Disagreeing with Tidings editorial The Oct. 30 Tidings editorial, "SDCs the best strategy for parks, trails" begged a couple of questions. A committee with members from the City Council, the Parks Commission, the Budget Committee and the Chamber of Commerce has developed funding recommendations for a parks, trails and open space land acquisition. The Parks Commission has unanimously supported their recommendations. The Tidings backed increasing system development charges (SDCs), a minor part of the recommendation. But the paper disagreed with allocating more money from the meals tax to support parks acquisition. The committee's funding proposal would leave the total meals tax collected unchanged, but would increase the percentage of the tax going to parks and concomitantly decrease the amount going to wastewater plant upgrades. If, as the Tidings urges, SDCs are the sole source of revenue to acquire land, that would provide only 14 percent of the monies necessary to purchase the land on the plan recently approved by the Commission and Council. SDCs is projected to raise only about $50,000 a year, while the meals tax reallocation is projected to raise about $300,000 per year. I would like to hear from the Tidings as to which properties, constituting 86 percent of the plan, the city should delete? Or, if the Tidings thinks the entire plan should be retained, where additional funds should come from? I look forward to the Tidings constructive response. Rick Landt Chairman, Parks Commission, Ashland (Editor's note: The Tidings editorial, regarding the shifting of meals tax allocations, said: "The shifting of allocation percentages seems to be harmless enough." The editorial never stated that SDCs be the soul source of funding. It said: "We believe the council should consider, at all costs, BOOSTING the SDCs on new construction to give homeowners a break.") Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing