Niles puts parks maintenance millage on November ballot

NILES — City of Niles residents will have the opportunity to vote in November to decide if they want to support the improvement and enhancement of parks, trails and recreation activities across the city, including the possible addition of a spray pad.

The Niles City Council voted 5-1 Monday to approve the “City of Niles Park and Maintenance Millage” ballot proposal and language for submission to city voters at the Nov. 5 election. If voted in, the millage would assist with expenses associated with improving park picnic shelters, play structures, trails and the possible addition of a spray pad feature in Riverfront Park.

The city’s taxable value is $271,204,901. A 1.5 mil millage would generate approximately $406,807 per year, which translates to $150 per year per $100,000 in taxable value for the property owner.

“I’m glad we’re bringing this to the public,” said City of Niles Mayor Nick Shelton. “(A splash pad) is a topic I’ve heard about longer than the eight years I’ve been in office and one of the highest demands that members of our community have had and I’m glad we’re bringing it back to the citizens to make that decision. I’m interested to see how that goes in November.”

Over the past several years, the council has discussed the possibility of requesting a millage to address park infrastructure. According to city officials, the city’s park youth play structures are at or near end of life. A full play structure is $150,000 or more depending on features. Park picnic shelters are due for replacement at many locations and the park trail system is due for trail surface replacement.

The council noted that community members have been quite vocal about wanting the addition of a spray pad feature. Depending on the scope, spray pad features are typically between $250,000 to $450,000 to construct, according to city officials, with annual operating costs of $20,000 or more per year. With this November being a presidential election, the council believes this proposal is an opportunity to put the question of park improvements and a spray feature before the most voters. If the proposal is approved, the council will be tasked with approving a detailed budget for the projects that would be available to the public.

Fourth ward councilmember Michael Thompson cast the lone dissenting vote, a “hard no.”

“It is astounding to me that people think it’s OK to use other people’s resources for whatever idiotic idea pops into their mind,” he said. “In the 1920s, local parks, for the most part – you actually had to pay to go to them and that reduced the number of parks. Niles right now has twenty-something parks and I believe none of them are in the fourth ward and yet somehow, the people in the fourth ward are able to survive; life continues to go on. Let’s stop stealing other people’s resources.”

According to the city website , Ward 4 has three parks – F.O.P. Park, Island Park and French Field.

Below is the official ordinance language approved by the City of Niles:

City of Niles Park Maintenance Millage

Shall the City of Niles impose a new millage and thus an increase of up to 1.5 mills ($1.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 31 of the Michigan Constitution and levy it for four (4) years, 2024 through 2027 inclusive, to provide funding for city-wide park construction and maintenance, including but not limited to, trail maintenance, equipment replacement, construction of a spray pad, and associated maintenance, which 1.5 mills increase will raise an estimated $406,807.37 in 2024 of which a portion will be disbursed to the Main Street Downtown Development Authority, and such other local units of government determined appropriate or required.

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