City Seeking Ways to Maintain Parks

Two weeks after voters rejected a measure to continue taxing themselves to pay for park maintenance, the City Council is scrutinizing its budget for savings to help pay for the city’s 14 parks.

Council members, who are split on whether to pursue a similar park tax measure next year, are examining several options to cover the shortfall in revenues expected when the current assessment district is dissolved next summer.

Among the suggestions are charging youth sports organizations for using the parks, cutting hours at the Arroyo Vista Recreation Center and at park restrooms, using the savings from not filling vacant city positions and dipping into interest earned from surplus funds collected by the Mosquito Abatement District.

None of the options is ideal, said Councilwoman Debbie Teasley . “But you can’t look at a $600,000 deficit and not come up with something.” The council will discuss the issue tonight during its regular meeting at 7 p.m.

Measure P, which failed Nov. 4, would have charged residents up to $68.50 annually for the next 10 years to pay for items such as gardening, watering park lawns and removing graffiti from park facilities. This would have generated enough to cover the annual park maintenance costs of about $600,000.

Property owners currently are charged $40.16 annually, but this assessment will end June 30 because of Proposition 218, which requires a two-thirds approval by voters to continue most assessment districts.

Teasley said she would not rule out reviving the same measure next June or November, saying that voters may not have understood what was at stake.

“I think there were some misunderstandings out there in the fact that some thought [Measure P] was a new tax and it was not,” Teasley said. Once all the facts are presented properly, she added, “I think at that point we take it back to a vote.”

Councilman Chris Evans, however, said voters sent a clear message that they are not willing to continue paying for park upkeep. Evans said he would be unwilling to place the matter before voters again.

“It’s time for everyone in government, including the state and City Council, to understand that voters aren’t going to continue to pay additional assessments and fees and taxes,” Evans said. “It’s time to get off their backs and run government on a budget.”

Evans said he prefers living with the eventual cuts by reducing services at the parks. Barring that, he said interest from the Mosquito Abatement District’s reserve fund might be considered to help maintain the parks.

Moorpark’s city staff is reviewing the general budget to target expendable items. One suggestion is to cancel city-funded events, such as the Independence Day fireworks show.

While Evans said he is hoping the city will receive more in sales tax revenue next year, city officials point out that any increase would be minor.

Moorpark ranks eighth or ninth among the county’s 10 cities in sales taxes generated per capita, City Manager Steve Kueny told council members in a memo.

“While we anticipate some new sales tax producers, unless we reduce sales tax leakage and attract out-of-town shoppers, we don’t see significant increases in sales tax revenue,” the memo stated.

Council members said that they would only consider reducing police services or dipping into the city’s $5.4-million general fund reserve to pay for parks as a last resort.