Latest on Ironton's Rec Levy Renewal

[Pocket Aces]

Ironton rec levy up for renewal


By Mark Shaffer/The Ironton Tribune



Thursday, November 1, 2007 10:40 AM CDT




One of the issues facing Ironton voters on the Nov. 6 ballot is the renewal of the recreational levy.

It is a .5 percent renewal, meaning that people are already paying for it, but it expires at the end of the year.

If it passes, the renewal would erase state-mandated tax reduction factors that have been placed on the current levy.

For a person with a $30,000 home, the levy would mean the owner would pay $4.95 a year. A person with a $90,000 home would $13.78 annually.

John D. Willis, who is on the recreation department advisory board, said he supports the levy renewal because he has four kids from 8 months old to 10 years old and wants to continue recreational programs for them.

He said they spend a lot of time at Molten Field where his kids practice football and soccer.

He remembers playing baseball and recreational football league when he was a kid.

“It was a different setup then,” he said. “They had more stuff at the park for the kids during the summers.”

He said with a new person in charge of the rec department, Brett Thomas, they are going to try to get back to that.

“I would like to see some of the newer developmental type playground equipment,” he said. Specifically, he’d like to see the military fitness test where there are various stations with different types of exercise.

“I think one of the keys is that this is the renewal of an old levy,” Willis said. “With the new structure of the department, I think the money will go towards better use than it has in the past.”

The rec department’s annual budget is $69,000 and the department’s only full-time employee is Thomas. There are two part-time employees during the summer months. The rec department is in charge of maintaining the Beechwood, Etna, Molten Field, and Edna Kopacz parks. It also assists the youth football league, the basketball league and the adult softball league as well as youth cheerleading.

Thomas said the levy is crucial to his department, the various athletic leagues and anyone who enjoys the parks.

“As far as the levy goes, we are taking the kids and giving them something to do,” he said. “It’s a positive situation for the kids.”

He said as the only employee in the department he is always busy. On a daily basis, he’s out picking up trash, mowing lawns and painting and maintaining playground equipment.

And once the Friends of Ironton have the Veterans Park completed that will fall to Thomas to clean and maintain. He figures it will take a week just to mow that and Molten Field.

“Those are the things people don’t see,” he said.

He said talks are under way about expanding the summer programs similar to the one this past summer at the Ninth Street Park that was so successful.

“There’s a lot of work getting involved in getting that up and running,” he said.

And as part of his 10-year plan, he would like to see a youth center built to give kids in Ironton somewhere to go.

Thomas is also in talks about getting all new equipment for the parks.

“I think that is going to happen,” he said. “The old stuff is dilapidated and just needs to be replaced.”

[BlindWhiteHat]

It seems as if a couple comments made by Mr. Willis are false. He states that the Rec Dept assists with the youth football league and a men's softball league. I don't believe either of those statements to be correct. It is true that Brett Thomas is involved with Ironton youth football because his son plays but I'm not sure that means the department "assists" any more than any other coach who volunteers his time. Also, Ironton did not host a softball league for adults this summer. I wonder what league he could be speaking of?

[tigermama]

A lot of small towns do not have a rec board and they have football, basketball, cheerleading, and baseball run by volunteers. They also totally support themselves by fundraising. How come this rec dept. is so important now when it wasn't this time last year?

[Amen Corner]

I think he was too busy last year.

[Tigercannon71]

The money used to be used for upkeep of equipment like lawnmowers and stuff like that. Its also used to buy paint for the parks and different things that the parks need to be kept nice. Thats what it was used for when I worked their in high school and my first few years of college.

[Riverrat Tiger]

The problem this levy faces is not that it is only 13.00 a year, it's what everything else costs the taxpayers. Ironton voted down the floodwall levy the 1st time around, and in my mind would be of much higher priority than the Rec. Levy.

[BlindWhiteHat]

The money used to be used for upkeep of equipment like lawnmowers and stuff like that. Its also used to buy paint for the parks and different things that the parks need to be kept nice. Thats what it was used for when I worked their in high school and my first few years of college.

That is true to a point but there have also been recent donations made to the department in the form of money and volunteer time.

The youth of Ironton already have baseball, football, and soccer without the assistance of this department. From what I've been told, cheerleading isn't far from going out on its own also. I'm sure the adults in Ironton would get together and form a basketball board to run a league for the kids if that was ever necessary.

[henrysteele]

Another topic that needs moved to the political forum.

[BlindWhiteHat]

I was told the mayor appointed two additional people to the Ironton Recreation Dept Advisory Committee. I wonder if this is true.

If it is, it sure sounds like this current Rec Dept is shaping up just like the old Rec Dept was when City Council disbanded it. I guess there wasn't really a problem with the way that dept was run, it was just that the right people weren't in charge of it. Funny how politics work isn't it?