Protests mount over proposed parks tax

Kalispell council to vote Aug. 18 on controversial measure

A wave of protest is swirling against a proposed Kalispell parks operations-and-maintenance tax.

At a Monday Kalispell City Council hearing, almost two-thirds of the 40 people present applauded a remark against the tax. Eleven people spoke against the tax, five supported it, and two did not state a pro-or-con position.

City Manager Jim Patrick said most of 129 mail-in responses opposed the tax.

The council tentatively is scheduled to vote on the measure on Aug. 18. The city government will accept written comments until then.

The proposed tax's purpose is to create a reliable income source to take care of Kalispell's parks without competing with other city departments for the general fund money.

The money can only be used for routine operations and repairs, not for capital or major projects.

The opposition focused on two points - the extra tax burden plus a state law that says if more than 50 percent of property owners mail in protests, the council cannot pass the tax proposal.

Protesters said the 50-percent-plus law essentially is toothless because the city mailed out 7,400 comment notices and it is unlikely that 50 percent would even be mailed back.

"You know you won't get a 50 percent protest. I feel that's part of the plan. We can't even get 50 percent of the people out to vote. … I feel this process is a calculated misrepresentation, and I resent it," Ted Schlegel said.

Eloise Hill said: "This is an underhanded way to handle the city budget. … It relies on public apathy."

Others said the proposed tax is an extra financial burden in worsening economic times.

"You have to learn to live within a budget. … We are taxed to death," Scott Zimmerman said.

Sharon DeMeester, who owns downtown property, said: "Your constant increases in taxes affects everyone. You're just nickel-and-diming us to death."

A few said the matter should be taken to a November public referendum.

However, some people said the city's parks are an important quality-of-life matter and support the tax.

"I'm making eight bucks an hour, and I'm willing to pay," Emily Cummings said.

Rick Anfenson, principal of Peterson Elementary School, said well-kept parks are important to children.

"They're using them more when they're fixed up," he said.

A 2006 city survey went to 1,600 Kalispell homes, with 363 adults responding. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

The survey results indicated:

. 43.2 percent supported the idea of a parks maintenance district, which is the bureaucratic creation that leads to a parks operations-and-maintenance tax; 22 percent opposed it; and 34.7 percent did not know.

. 25.6 percent said they would support a parks-related tax with no conditions attached, while 55 percent would support such a tax under certain conditions.

. Out of the 80-percent group that would support a parks tax conditionally or unconditionally, 83 percent said they would support a tax of up to $25 annually and 63 percent would support up to $50 annually.

The proposed tax is a dollar amount reached by multiplying the square footage in a lot by 0.0055.

That translates to $38.50 a year for a 7,000-square-foot lot or $22 a year for a 4,000-square-foot lot.

No home would be required to pay more than $150 a year, and no commercial lot would be required to pay more than $500 a year, according to the proposal.

The proposed parks tax is expected to raise roughly $540,000 in fiscal 2008-2009.

Kalispell's Parks and Recreation Department has a $1.647 million proposed budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. The council is expected to adopt an overall city budget later this month. The city is authorized to pay ongoing bills until the budget is adopted.

The department takes care of parks, the swimming pool, athletic complexes, sports programs and youth camps.

The actual care of parks is estimated to cost $567,570 for fiscal 2008-2009 - most of which comes from the general fund.

The remaining $1.08 million is paid by revenues generated by individual programs, plus sources other than the general fund.

All of the city's property taxes as well as other revenue go to the general fund, which is where most of the wiggle room exists in the city's proposed $51.85 million overall budget.

The proposed general fund is $10.7 million for the coming year.

The city is having problems balancing the general fund without dipping into shrinking cash reserves. The creation of a parks operations-and-maintenance tax would remove the parks from the general fund's obligations.

Almost all of the parks' operations-and-maintenance money comes from the general fund. The biggest exception is $15,000 to $20,000 received annually from groups renting shelters and parks for big events.

Consequently, the parks operations-and-maintenance budget has to compete each year with other city departments - including the police and fire departments, which likely would trump it in avoiding budget cuts.

Written comments may be sent by e-mail to twhite@kalispell.com or to the Office of the City Clerk, P.O. Box 1997, Kalispell, Montana, 59903.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com