ROLLA – In April 2014 Rolla voters narrowly rejected a ¼ cent park sales tax initiative (51% to 49%) that would have supported both the traditional park system and to a lesser degree the community’s Health and Rec Center. Much of the rhetoric before and after the initiative focused on the need to support the City’s traditional park system. In an attempt to be responsive to citizens concerns and suggestions the City Council and Parks Advisory Committee moved forward to put Prop P, a ¼ cent parks-only sales tax initiative, on the November ballot – 8 months after the April defeat.
It was discovered this week that the authorizing statute, RSMo 644.032, was amended to restrict going back to voters with such a sales tax initiative “sooner than twelve months from the date of the last proposal”. In order to follow the spirit of RSMo 644 the City of Rolla will be postponing the Prop P Parks vote until 2015. The City will need to apply for a court order to instruct the County Clerk’s Office not to count the ballots. City Administration sincerely apologizes to the voters and park users in the oversight and in the delay in providing the opportunity to sufficiently support the park system.
The condition of the community’s park system has been well publicized as has the significant and impending cuts facing the park system in the recently adopted FY 2014/15 budget. Not only has the City been unable to maintain the public assets and facilities in the park system over the last several years but funding cuts will substantially affect the routine maintenance of virtually all neighborhood parks. With the delay in a new park sales tax effort Mayor Magdits and the City Council will be convening a plan to address the current fiscal year operations and a future ballot initiative to sustain and support our parks in the future.
It was discovered this week that the authorizing statute, RSMo 644.032, was amended to restrict going back to voters with such a sales tax initiative “sooner than twelve months from the date of the last proposal”. In order to follow the spirit of RSMo 644 the City of Rolla will be postponing the Prop P Parks vote until 2015. The City will need to apply for a court order to instruct the County Clerk’s Office not to count the ballots. City Administration sincerely apologizes to the voters and park users in the oversight and in the delay in providing the opportunity to sufficiently support the park system.
The condition of the community’s park system has been well publicized as has the significant and impending cuts facing the park system in the recently adopted FY 2014/15 budget. Not only has the City been unable to maintain the public assets and facilities in the park system over the last several years but funding cuts will substantially affect the routine maintenance of virtually all neighborhood parks. With the delay in a new park sales tax effort Mayor Magdits and the City Council will be convening a plan to address the current fiscal year operations and a future ballot initiative to sustain and support our parks in the future.