TAX: CHAFFEE ASKS VOTERS FOR PARKS MONEY

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee City Council has voted to put a 24-cent park tax increase on the April municipal ballot over the objection of one council member.

"I don't believe this is the right time to take a tax increase to the voters, not with the type of economy we're dealing with right now," said the council member, Jerry Wolsey of Ward 1.

"People at this point are trying to save every penny they can save and cut costs and I don't think the tax increase at this point is feasible."

Wolsey was the only council member out of six to vote against the ballot proposal in a special council meeting Friday. City Clerk Diane Eftink said two other council members, Brad Bader of Ward 4 and Bill Cannon of Ward 1, did not attend the meeting Friday.

The special meeting was scheduled at the council's regular meeting last Monday, when the tax increase proposal was mentioned as a possibility.

Ed Gauthier, who serves as the council's liaison to the city's park board, says the money is needed to make up for the city parks' $30,000 shortfall. That deficit is now covered by city general revenue, said Gauthier, of Ward 2.

The election will be held April 7. If approved, the proposal would raise the city's park tax from 11 to 35 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, said city officials. The city's overall tax rate is now 92 cents and would be raised to $1.16 per each $100 valuation.

Scott County Clerk Bob Kielhofner said a simple majority of votes is required for the proposal to pass.

Some Chaffee city officials have said the replacement of the old lights at Chaffee's Harmon Field should be tied to the tax increase. One official who said that is Park Board Chairman Bob Sullivan.

But Gauthier said the lights wouldn't necessarily be part of the tax increase package. "But that will give us, as a city council, more money ... to help buy the lights," he added.

A group called the Country CBers has raised $12,000 or more for the lights, which would cost a total of $38,000, Gauthier said. Gauthier said the club has proposed a lease agreement for the lights. The CBers would get the lease agreement, he said, and the city would guarantee it.

Harmon Field is by the Chaffee Swimming Pool at Elliott and South Fifth streets.

Wolsey said he hopes the city can enter into a lease purchase with a company to put up the lights, but he said the legalities of the arrangement would first have to be checked out. There's no doubt, he said, that it's dangerous to play ball games on Harmon Field at night.

The councilman said he wasn't opposing the tax increase because of his council seat race in the April election. Wolsey's seat is one of two being challenged in the election. He has two opponents, Edward N. "Cotton" Sadler and John E. Nordin.

He understands, he said, that the increase is to subsidize the parks.

"I have nothing against the parks. Both my boys are very involved in sports. I just don't think this is the right time to be taking this to the taxpayers. The taxpayers are being taxed to death now as it is."

In fact, when he campaigned last week, he said, he got some negative responses toward the proposal from city residents. "That helped me to make my decision as well," he said.

Initially, Gauthier had proposed a 20-cent park tax increase that was expected to raise roughly $20,000 a year. But he said the park board voted unanimously at its meeting last Tuesday to ask for the 35-cent tax rate because it would keep the parks from operating at a deficit.

"It would make them self-sufficient, self-supporting, which is what it's supposed to be," he said.

The 20-cent tax increase had always been talked about, he said. Gauthier said the city had used the 20 cents previously for a debt retirement fund unrelated to the parks. That expired three years ago, he said.