Rec district petitions for second vote on mill levy

By MICHELLE MCLEAN

Hillsboro residents will vote again on a proposed mill levy increase for the community recreation district.

Proponents submitted a petition with 32 signatures to city commissioners Monday requesting that the question appear on the city’s General Election ballot in November.

City commissioners rejected a request July 7 from the Hillsboro Recreation District to allow the question to appear on the ballot.  State law allows residents to petition for a vote. 

In the June election, Hillsboro voters narrowly defeated a six-mill tax increase for the city’s Community Recreation District by a 137-117 margin. A simple majority was needed for passage. The same question will be asked again in November.

Earlier this month, by a 3-2 vote, the commissioners denied putting the matter to a second  vote. Commissioners Charlie Stock, Lorraine Tibert and Kyle Stern voted no. Commissioners Jeff Nelson and Kevin Burg voted yes.

The rec district needed to gather 29 signatures of city residents to request a second vote, equal to five percent of the voters in the last general election.

Without the additional tax revenue, Buzick said the board “would have to discuss cutting costs, prioritizing future programs, reducing or eliminating most of the programs — and more than likely the director position.”

Only 250 people cast votes in the June city election. A larger voter turnout is likely in the fall, Buzick and other board member reasoned.

City voters created the rec district  two years ago and granted a 2.5 mill levy to provide operating revenue, about $5,000 a year in tax dollars. State law allows the rec district board to ask voters to supplement that mill levy with an additional six mills, if a majority of voters approve.

The rec district hopes to increase funding through the 8.5 mill levy to $17,000.  Funding is in place for 2008 with a budget of $27,000, using tax dollars, cash reserves, participation fees and outside donations from city sales tax, the park board, the school district and other donors. Funding for 2009 remains uncertain if the mill levy increase were to fail again.