Tuesday, May 18, 1999
Butler Co. finds some park money
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON — The financially strapped Butler County Metroparks system will receive more money for capital improvement projects this summer, but not as much as park leaders had originally hoped.
Butler County commissioners agreed Monday to a 30-cent increase in the county's real estate transfer tax rate. The new money will pay for capital improvements in the parks.
The tax is now $2 on every $1,000 of property value. The increase will go in effect June 16.
Metroparks, one of the few major park systems in Ohio that does not have a levy in place, was seeking a 35-cent increase in the tax rate. However, the county auditor's office asked that only numbers ending in zero be used, to streamline the process, commissioners said.
Regardless, park leaders were grateful for the support.
“We feel the increase would allow us to get started on some of the projects,” Metroparks Director Mike Muska said. “We feel that this is a very minor fee increase that would go a long way.”
The increase will last five years and generate about $377,000 a year.
The park district operates 18 parks and sites covering more than 1,500 acres of land and water. The district has a $1 million budget, but voters have turned down three county park levies since 1992.
The property transfer tax increase could be erased if a levy is passed.
“This is one of the quality-of-life issues for all of us in Butler County,” Metroparks Commissioner Stanley Rullman said. “We think we are very aware of our stewardship responsibility of these funds.”
The capital improvements would occur throughout the system, Mr. Muska said.
“Like everything else, if you want good parks, you have to (put) money in them,” Commissioner Mike Fox said. “The conveyance fee is to me a logical revenue source for them.”
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