Board considers referendum on Minneapolis parks funding

The Minneapolis Park Board will vote this week on whether to support a 20-year referendum that would cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. The proposal has sparked discussion of the board's budget limitations and also stirred tensions among some commissioners.

Supporters of the referendum say it's time to start catching up from years of deferred repair and maintenance at nearly 160 neighborhood parks. However, not all commissioners agree that putting a property tax increase on the ballot this fall is the best way to do it.

During a recent board discussion, Commissioner Brad Bourn said he dislikes the idea of asking voters for money when in the past the board has been unwilling to propose budgets large enough to fulfill its needs.

"It's the epitome of political cowardice," he said. "We are abdicating the responsibilities of our office."

A few of Bourn's colleagues strenuously objected to that assertion. Tempers flared when Bourn suggested that fellow commissioners were bullying him. Board President Liz Wielinski had to ask several times for quiet before the meeting returned to order.

Vice President Scott Vreeland said the tension among members is nothing new for the Park Board. He said the recent kerfuffle showed that people had passionate views. Vreeland said no one was bullying Bourn, and he strongly disagreed that the referendum is an abdication of the board's responsibilities.

"I think it's a really good way of finding out, in the broadest possible way — in a presidential election year — whether people want to support the kind of neighborhood park system they are used to, or whether they don't," he said.

Vreeland pointed out that the Park Board has limited power over its purse. The mayor and City Council make budget recommendations, which are used by the Board of Estimate and Taxation to set the maximum property tax levy.

The Park Board has one vote on the six-member estimate and taxation board.

Superintendent Jayne Miller said it appears the elected officials with the power to raise property taxes aren't willing to raise the revenue the Park Board would need on an annual basis to make up for lost time.

But the public is willing to pay for it, she said. Miller said a park board survey last year strongly supported higher taxes for park improvements. That's because people appreciate having access to natural resources that are often within walking distance from their homes, she said.

"I think it's all those things. And I think it's also our ability — over the history of our organization — to really try to be responsive to the needs of the citizens," she said.

The proposed referendum language also seeks to protect the Park Board's revenue stream in cases of economic downturns, natural disasters or shifts in the political wind. That's crucial, Miller said.

"Because there's always change of who's in office and who's in charge of running the city," she said. "This is not intended to place any blame on anyone else. But things change. Priorities change. The economy changes. So we want to ensure that we have an ongoing revenue stream."

Miller said it's hard to forecast how much the total referendum will cost city taxpayers. Current projections place the dollar amount at just below $80 million over the first five years of the 20-year life of the funding.

The Park Board does not have the authority to place the referendum on the ballot by itself. There are four ways that could happen, and each one requires City Council approval. If the referendum makes it to the ballot and is approved by voters, it won't go into effect until 2018.