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Health & Fitness

The park tax. Let's take a popular project and see what the costs are.

A look at one project and how the park tax can't pay for it.

What do you want for parks? Let’s take a popular project and see what the costs are.

Start with trails. We have the Fennel Creek trail planned and there’s an effective group working to have it built. The 2007 plan states “The Fennel Creek Trail will connect Allan Yorke Park to the Foothills Trail and the future Pierce County Flume Trail. The City of Bonney Lake will develop the portion within the city limits (approximately 5.2miles) from Allan Yorke Park to Victor Falls.” That’s a nice and clear plan.

The cost in 2007 dollars?  $7,704,861.

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What will it look like? “The standard trail section will be twelve (12) feet wide with two (2) foot wide shoulders on each side as transitions to the adjacent grade? “

We did ask “Why not put a path down and let people start using it?” The answer pointed out the Americans for Disability Act (ADA) and that a trail needs to be wheelchair accessible. That would also make it easy for bikes, skateboards, blades and strollers. The trail must have an all-weather surface and be ADA accessible. Nothing less.

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Do the math. The estimate is for $1,481,704 per mile

Then there are maintenance costs:

“The following are the typical annual maintenance costs for one mile of paved trail (these figures are based on national average – the costs will vary for individual trails):

Drainage and storm channel maintenance: $500 (3-5 times per year)
Sweeping/blowing debris off trailhead: $ 1,200 (16-24 times per year)
Pickup and removal of trash: $ 1,200 (16-24 times per year)
Weed control and vegetation management: $ 1,000 (8-12 times per year)
Mowing of 3-foot grass shoulder along trail: $ 1,200 (8-24 times per year)
Minor repairs to trail furniture/safety features: $500
Maintenance supplies for work crews: $300
Equipment fuel and repairs: $600
TOTAL COST: $6,500”http://library.michigantrails.org/property-issues/trail-development-acquisition-construction-management/

So, an initial cost of a million and a half per mile to build the trail. Then, each year, there will be a cost of $6,500 to maintain the mile.

We keep trying to find out how much the park tax will raise for the city. The taxers aren’t very clear and neither is the city website. We finally found a PDF document that gives “1,266,348 at the .75 per thousand levy.” Remember the 2007 cost for the trial was estimated to be $7,704,861 for the project That's at $1,481,704 to build one mile. Given the expected revenue, that’s “only” a yearly shortfall of $215,356.

This leaves us with a great plan that, in 2007 dollars, will cost $7,704,861 to build. The park tax will not bring in enough money to build one mile of trail a year.

What would you guess? Ten years to fund and build the trail? Remember there's also maintenance once a portion of trail is built.

Just how much of this will be really be paid for by the park tax? There’s also the Frisbee golf course, YMCA, Community Center, Playing fields, Dog park, Community gardens, BMX track, Museum… Each of these has its supporters and each of these projects will want to get some of the tax revenue.

Just how far this is supposed “1,266,348” going to go? How many projects can be funded? Answer: Not very many.

Next question: How much tax do you pay now?

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