Park fanciers back with park tax

YERINGTON -- Undaunted by the failure of a similar measure two years ago, local park advocates want to place a request for a 5-cent park tax levy on the November ballot.

The Central Lyon County Park Tax Committee will seek approval of the question at Thursday's Lyon County commissioner meeting.

Committee members believe the issue was hurt by misinformation and was not properly promoted prior to its defeat in November 2000. The committee has been canvassing the district to see if there is interest in the ballot question and will present petitions of support at the Thursday's meeting.

If approved, the tax would generate approximately $76,000 annually. The money would stay in Central Lyon County and be used primarily for maintenance of existing parks. Improvements and development of new parks would be secondary priorities.

Other Central Lyon County park issues on the agenda include:

-- A request for $5,000 to help complete a skate park at Como Park in Dayton. Working under the auspices of Central Lyon County Park and Recreation, the Dayton Skate Park Committee has raised $29,900 for the park. The cost of the equipment will come to a little more than $30,000, and the $5,000 will be needed for the 7,000 square foot concrete slab. The committee is composed entirely of youth from the Dayton area. According to Park and Recreation Director Jeannette Hoffert, they have done all of the fundraising and will make the presentation to the commissioners.

"I want this to be a service learning project from start to finish. This will

be their park," she said. "They need to know how the process works and to have a vested interest in seeing that it is properly taken care of."

-- Request for approval of by-law revisions, increasing the Central Lyon County Park and Recreation Board from five to seven members, allowing the creation of two youth positions.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Lyon County Commissioners

WHERE: Courthouse Annex, 27 South Main Street, Yerington

WHEN: 9 a.m. Thursday

FOR INFORMATION: Call 577-5037 (Dayton/Silver Springs) or 463-6531.