Lexington voters will decide the fate of a referendum that would create a new property tax for a dedicated city parks fund. David Lowe is co-director of the Yes for Parks campaign and a member of the city’s Parks Advisory Board. He said the average homeowner would pay an additional 52 dollars a year, generating about 8 million dollars annually.
“We have 110 parks in Lexington. We know from our master planning process that there are 414 improvement projects in those parks, and when we make those investments in parks and public spaces, the return on investment is really considerable.”
Yes for Parks is one of many organizations and community groups supporting the referendum and a week before Election Day, Lowe seemed confident it will be approved.
“We know from the master plan that 90% of people use parks in our community, 88% want to see them upgraded. So you know, when it comes to creating a dedicated fund to make our parks better, you know, we've certainly seen a chorus of support.”
While there doesn’t seem to be organized opposition to the referendum, people voting “no” could cite rising home values and associated higher property taxes. Lexington Parks and Recreation is a supporter of WEKU.
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