Hillsboro Banner

By MICHELLE MCLEAN

Residents of Hillsboro will decide   June 3 if they want to further fund a year-round community activities program.

The question of an additional six-mill tax levy for the Hillsboro Community Recreation District will be on the June 2008 city ballot. A majority vote is needed for approval. If approved, the tax increase would be imposed with the December 2008 tax bill. 

At its monthly meeting Wednesday the Rec District board discussed estimated tax increases as calculated by the Traill County auditor’s office.

The owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $27 a year if the six-mill increase was approved. For the owner of a commercial property assessed at $100,000, the new tax would amount to $30 a year.

In June 2006 Hillsboro voters approved the formation of the Recreation District and accepted a 2.5-mill levy to initiate funding for the district. The levy raised about $5,000 in tax revenue for 2007. By law, the rec district can ask voters to approve a maximum levy of 8.5 mills.

According to Traill County Auditor Becca Braaten, one mill levied in the city of Hillsboro would currently generate about $2,100 — 8.5 mills would provide about $17,850.

It should be noted that as property values change so does the value of a mill. When the vote was taken in June 2006, one mill was expected to generate about $1,950.

Buzick said the rec district board will work hard to explain the tax increase to voters before the June vote. He plans to personally meet with civic groups and interested voters to outline why the funding increase is needed.

Operating since January 1, 2007, the Rec District facilitated a transition from the Hillsboro Community Activities Association. It was HCAA that set the wheels in motion to create the Rec District. HCAA, a non-profit organization formed in 2001, had relied on a variety of funding sources to operate, including city sales tax; funds from the school district, Hillsboro Economic Development and the Park Board; donations; grants; and participation fees.

The formation of the recreation district formalized what HCAA had created and aimed to provide a stable, continuous funding source for years to come.

When HCAA turned over the activity program to the Rec District in January, a donation of about $8,000 followed.

Until a full mill levy is approved, the Rec District continues to rely on the city, the park board and the school to provide the bulk of its funding.

The city pledged $2,500 in continued funding for the rec district in 2008. The city also handles the payroll bookkeeping for the Rec District.

Since the inception of HCAA, the city has been the biggest financial supporter of the activities programming, proving as much as $25,000 a year to fund HCAA.

Rec. District board member Tracy Buzick told city commissioners in September — when they approved the mill increase question being placed on the ballot — he would not be back in 2008 to ask for funding, even if the mill levy vote fails.

Buzick projected that the rec district will have enough money to operate through 2008 but could end up in the hole at the end of 2009 — if the mill levy fails.

Buzick said the goal of a self-sustaining rec district may never be met — even with a full mill levy. Assistance — in some form — may always be needed from major players like the city, park board and school district.

The Hillsboro Park Board also approved providing $2,500 in funding for 2008. The Hillsboro School District promised $5,000 toward funding in 2008. The school district also provides in-kind support such as office space, equipment and supplies.

Meeting since August 2006, the rec district board includes representation from HCAA, the school, the park board and the city. Members were appointed by the city commission.

Buzick, also a school board member, is president of the rec district board. Elliot Rotvold and Maribeth Mueller represent HCAA and serve as vice president and secretary-treasurer. Other members are park board representative Tim “Teak” Kelley and city commissioner Jeff Nelson.

Ramona Tweten serves as part-time director, a position she also held with HCAA.

The board’s funding kitty started out with about $33,000 from the park board, city, school, HEDC and HCAA.

The only revenues produced were about $5,000 in tax money and $6,800 in participation fees.

The rec district expects to spend about $27,750 in 2007 and end the year with $21,500 in reserves. Expenses include $10,000 for its director’s salary; $13,000 for a dozen summer rec personnel and $4,000 for operating expenses like fuel, equipment and insurance.

A major portion of the Recreation District’s programming this year was the summer rec programs. These included girls softball, t-ball, Little League and Legion baseball as well as open gym activities like volleyball, boys and girls basketball, elementary basketball and other offerings such as golf, tennis and story hour.

The park board had previously managed the baseball programs but turned that over to the rec district last summer.

A count of participants in 2007 summer rec programs included: volleyball - 22; girls basketball - 19; boys basketball - 13; elementary basketball - 31; T-ball, 40; Little League - 29; Legion baseball - 6; softball - 22; golf - 47; golf fun day - 73; tennis - 19; and story hour - 54.

Scholarships are available to any participant who is unable to afford fees, Tweten said. Local businesses have been sponsors of this effort.

Buzick pointed out that no child is denied if they wish to take part in the activities sponsored by the rec district.