Manson Parks Levy Renewal
on April 27th Special Election Ballot
Manson Bay Park Lifeguards (left to right) Hugo Lopez, George Benson, and Dawson Smith
The April 27th Special Election Ballot features a request from Manson Park & Recreation District to renew the current Maintenance and Operations levy. Parks and facilities currently benefiting from these funds include Manson Bay Park, Manson Bay Marina, Singleton Park, Willow Point Park, Old Swim Hole, Leffler Field, Wapato Lake Campground, and Old Mill Boat Launch.
The current levy- at a rate of $0.23 or less per $1000 of assessed property value- was approved by voters back in 2018 with a 70% approval rating. 60% ‘YES’ is required to pass. This levy helps fund the standard maintenance and operations for our parks and programs. Here are some examples of where your dollars are spent:
• Lifeguard program
• AAU
• Utilities
• Turf maintenance
• Employee wages and benefits
• Equipment repair, maintenance, and purchases
• Litter and trash removal
• Professional services (including design, engineering, permitting, grant funding, etc.)
• Supplies (office equipment, restroom supplies, irrigation repair parts, etc.)
The requested rate for this levy remains the same as it has for many years. In 2015, Manson Parks reduced the previous amount to $0.23 or less per $1000 of assessed property value. What this means is that someone with property valued at $100,000 could expect to pay, at most, $23.00 each year for the next 3 years. In 2020, the actual rate collected was only $0.155 per $1000. The collected rate is determined by the anticipated needs of the district in conjunction with property assessments. Due to the minimum wage increase, an increase in park usage, and aging infrastructure, we do anticipate higher costs than we experienced in 2020. Rising property values also impact the collection amount. You can use your property tax assessment to better estimate what this may mean for you and your family.
The District gets a large majority of its funding through this levy, park fees, and grants. Grants tend to fund larger expenses, such as the State and County grants used to purchase Leffler Field. Revenue generated by user fees, as well as the levy, help to fund park programs and maintenance expenses as previously mentioned.
Our Board of Commissioners would like to thank Manson residents for their continued support of your parks. They are proud to serve the community of Manson, and encourage you to make your voice heard by voting by April 27th. Any questions or comments can be directed to Robin Pittman at robin@mansonparks.com or 509-687-9635.