TMCnet News
Fort Smith Parks Panel After Slice Of Street Tax For Trails [Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.](Times Record (Fort Smith, AR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 25--Fort Smith's parks panel voted Friday to recommend the city ask voters if they would designate a slice of street tax revenues to build trails. Used exclusively for construction of streets, bridges and related drainage projects, the 1 percent tax was initially approved by voters in 1985, then again in 1995 and 2005. Voters will be asked in May to extend the tax for another decade. The tax annually brings in between $20 million to $21 million, according to the city. At a special meeting Friday, the Fort Smith Parks Commission approved of a letter urging the Board of Directors to seek voter approval to commit a portion of tax revenues for trails. "In an effort to create long-overdue trails and bikeway infrastructure improvements," the recommendation letter states, "the Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Commission recommends that a partial redistribution of the street tax fund is designated for construction of a comprehensive trail system when the street tax comes up for renewal in 2015." The amount allocated for trails would be up to directors, park officials said. Directors are scheduled to discuss the street tax renewal Tuesday during a study session. Parks Commissioner Bryan Merry said he was "nervous" about potentially changing a vote that to date has garnered public support. "We really have to educate people about this tax if we're going to do that," he said. "I was absolutely shocked when the library didn't pass. I think people are very, very anti-tax right now." Park officials said that likely, the street tax ballot question would remain the same, followed by a second question asking voters if they want to earmark a portion of that tax for trails. "The beauty of this is it's not being written into the main part of it," Parks Commission chairwoman Lorie Robertson said. The recommendation is endorsed by a resurrected city Trails & Greenways Committee, which is charged with updating and promoting the city's master trail plan. "That could really jump start our endeavor to get more trails and greenways here in Fort Smith," committee chairman Drew Linder said. The student government association at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith recently passed its own resolution noting support for "the connection of trails and greenways from existing or proposed trails between the community and UAFS campus." "They're asking the city to adopt a plan that would drive trails and greenways into the campus," Robertson said. The city held two public meetings in late September to measure interest in bike lanes constructed as part of city streets or built as multi-use trails away from the streets. Between the two meetings, dozens of residents weighed in. "As a young professional in Fort Smith, seeing this and experiencing what I'm calling a movement is pretty big," Parks Commissioner Casey Millspaugh said. "It gets me extremely motivated. People are saying this is what we want to do. I'm excited to see it happen." Surveys from the public meetings indicated residents prefer a mix of trails both on and off the streets. "What you've got here is a combination that appeals to a broad demographic of the city," Robertson said. "This is not just for one small interest group. We're asking for a plan that's open to everyone in the city." ___ (c)2014 Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) Visit Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) at www.swtimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |