Aquatic center ballot language changed

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert city officials have had a change of heart after a proposal to use excess money from a city aquatic center tax issue on other parks projects came under fire at Monday’s City Council meeting.

Mayor Don Farmer said Tuesday that, while he feels having additional money for other parks projects would have been a good thing, backers of the aquatics center project didn’t want it to threaten passage of a 1.2-mill, 25-year tax levy being placed on the May ballot to fund that project.

“The group does not want to do anything to jeopardize an affirmative vote,” the mayor noted on Tuesday. “We don’t want anything out there that gives anyone a reason to vote ‘no.’”

Much effort has already been put into the aquatics center plan, with supporters of the complex coming up with donation pledges of $1.2 million that would be placed into a maintenance/capital improvements fund for the proposed center if the levy is approved.

New ballot language for the property tax levy now limits use of any money raised by the levy to the aquatics center project only, the mayor noted on Tuesday. At this point, the project cost is estimated at $2.7 million, but could cost as little as $2.4 million or as much as $3 million, Mayor Farmer noted during Monday’s City Council meeting.

“We want the public to know that what they are voting on is strictly for construction and equipping an aquatic center. Period,” the mayor said.

While City Council unanimously approved placing the levy on the May ballot during Monday’s meeting, ballot language that would allow any money left over after construction of the project to be used for other parks projects was criticized by local resident Jerry Mazur.

Mazur, who likened the ballot language to a “pork” provision in state or federal legislation, said he felt it would send a negative message to city voters.

“I think the voters are voting for a swimming complex,” Mazur said. “Why would you need this pork?”

City Auditor Martha Balyeat agreed with Mazur. “My personal feeling is, if you’re asking for money to build a swimming pool, if there is any excess, the excess should be used only for the swimming pool,” she said.

On Tuesday, Mayor Farmer, while noting there probably won’t be any money left anyway after construction of an aquatics center, added that, while he feels city residents support their parks system and would approve using the money to keep parks maintained, the chance that the old ballot language would spark opposition to the project outweighed any possible benefits.