Metroparks Toledo appears likely to ask voters this fall to replace the park district’s 1.4-mill operating levy with an identical one four years ahead of its expiration date.
It is interested in doing that to take advantage of stronger property values.
The Board of Park Commissioners approved a resolution declaring a necessity by a 4-0 vote at its monthly meeting Tuesday. Commissioner Kevin Dalton was absent.
Voters passed a 10-year, 1.4-mill operating levy on Nov. 7, 2017. It will expire in 2028. It generates money for normal park operations.
“The resolution will also request the County Auditor of Lucas County to certify to it both the total current tax valuation of the Park District and the dollar amount of revenue that would be generated by the levy,” the board was told in a written brief prepared by Matt Cleland, Metroparks Toledo chief financial officer.
According to the resolution approved by the board, the 1.4‐mill replacement tax levy “will be levied for 10 years, commencing in tax year 2024, for first collection in calendar year 2025.”
Scott Carpenter, Metroparks Toledo spokesman, told The Blade that special park districts “have a unique ability to replace levies more than one year in advance of expiration,” and that this new one, if approved by voters, “will capture increased property values since the levy was last approved in 2017.”
For the owner of a $100,000 home, the replacement levy would cost less than $1 more per month but would help Metroparks offset the cost of inflation, he said.
Metroparks currently has two other levies in effect, a 2.0-mill levy for the Glass City Riverwalk project that was approved in 2020 and a 0.9-mill operations levy that was approved in 2022.
Both of those were for 10 years, too. The latter was passed mostly to open and operate new parks, Mr. Carpenter said.
In other action, the board added the University of Toledo to a memorandum of understanding it has with the Toledo Rowing Federation for access to the boathouse at International Park.
“The University of Toledo is seeking to use a portion of the boathouse for boat storage and a home for rowing programs,” a board brief states.
Practices and events designed “to promote the sport of rowing in the Toledo community” are to be scheduled by the rowing foundation and the university’s athletics department, the brief states.
“Metroparks will allow mutually agreed upon signage promoting Toledo Athletics at the boathouse and provide resources and assistance to enhance the facilities for the benefit of all users, including student‐athletes from the University of Toledo and members of the Toledo Rowing Foundation,” according to a synopsis from the park district staff. “The agreement will ensure the continuation and expansion of rowing activities at International Park, which complements plans to activate the Glass City Riverwalk.”
The board also agreed to spend $63,580 for an inspection of 3,000 linear feet of seawall at International Park, a first step necessary if the park district ever wants to reactivate the dock there “to accommodate Great Lakes cruise vessels,” a board brief states.
Mr. Carpenter said there are no immediate plans to court the cruise industry.
“As we plan renovations for International Park, we are looking at all the existing infrastructure. We don’t have any set plans at this point; we are just doing our due diligence,” he said.
The inspection findings are expected to be released in a report this fall.
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is contributing $20,000 toward the inspection costs, leaving Metroparks with a $43,580 tab.
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