Parks levy on November ballot

Rick Sorrels

At its June 10 meeting, the KP Parks Commissioners voted unanimously to place an operations and maintenance levy on the general election ballot in November for residents of the Key Peninsula.

The one-year property tax levy would collect $700,000 during calendar year 2014, with a tax rate of about 39 cents per $1,000 valuation. It would automatically expire at the end of one year, but can be renewed by the voters each additional year that the commissioners place it on the ballot.

Next year, the senior taxing authorities are forecast to “max out” the Constitutional limit for property tax collections, leaving KP Parks with no revenue from property taxes to continue operations.

Six citizens were in the audience, but there were no comments on the levy, either for or against.

Commissioner Bill Trandum, who presided over the meeting in the absence of President Greg Anglemyer, said,“The voters will decide in November whether this parks district will keep its doors open.”

Articles over the next couple of months will focus on what KP Parks has accomplished since its creation, and recent survey results with expectations for the future.