Metro Parks levy renewal will fund park improvements

Lorain County Metro Parks will place a 1.3-mill renewal along with a .3-mill increase on the Nov. 4 ballot that will help pay for park improvements across the county including a presence in Cascade Park in Elyria starting next year.

Issue 8, the 1.3-mill renewal plus a .3-mill increase levy, will cost taxpayers $50.30 annually per $100,000 in residential property valuation. This is a $10.50 annual increase from 2004. The levy costs just 88 cents more per month on a $100,000 property, park officials said.

The levy will fund the park for 10 years and will provide about 65 percent of the operating budget for the Metro Parks. Expected improvements, officials said, include the Wellington-Oberlin Bikeway Connector.

“The theme of the 10-year plan is the connectivity, so we are looking to start connecting our parks with furthering our trail system,” said Jim Ziemnik, Metro Parks director.

The levy funds also will allow the park to maintain its “Clean and Safe” parks and the level of service that Lorain County citizens have grown accustomed to, said Jennifer Bracken, assistant director.

“It has a lot to do with really maintaining what we have established as the park district’s reputation today,” Bracken said.

More than 2 million people annually visit the Metro Parks and that number has grown steadily every year the last 10 years, officials said.

The Metro Parks has 10,000 acres of land that encompasses activities such as golf, kayaking, horseback riding, camping, canoeing and others.

“We are here to service all people as much as we can in their outdoor, recreational and fitness needs,” Ziemnik said.

A full list of activities at the Metro Parks can be found at http://www. metroparks.cc/activities and more information regarding the upcoming ballot issue can be found at www. yours2explore.com.