This money would be in addition to annual operating funds the county contributes toward the budget of the park district, which is overseen by a board appointed by commissioners.
But commissioners and park officials last month debated whether what Park Board Chairman Benjamin Yoder called a “shot in the arm to take the park district to the next level” will cap spending on parks from the county’s general fund.
While Commissioners Pat South and Dave Young support the financing plan, they debated the details of the deal and limits of county park funding.
The newest commissioner, Tom Grossmann, was in favor of additional financing to support the county park system, but questioned the need for so many improvements, especially when so many of the county’s cities, villages and townships have extensive park systems.
“What should we be trying to accomplish, given the fact we have some local entities that do a very good job?” said Grossmann, who supported park development when he served as a city councilman in Mason.
The county has spent as much as $1 million each year for the past five years on county parks. In addition, it has spent more than $1.2 million over the past four years for capital improvements.
Yet the system, which has no levy funding, lacks staff and programs associated with more robust park systems, park officials said.
“We have no program director. We have no summer camps. We don’t do fishing programs,” Yoder said during a Jan. 26 commission work session.
The park board approached commissioners late last year with a $4.3 million wish list after a survey revealed county voters were not ready to support a county parks levy.
The board cut about $800,000 in requests before continuing their appeal during the January work session.
During that session, Yoder talked of hiring a program director, part-time grant writer and laborer.
In addition, the board wants the county to finance nearly $3.5 million for amenities like paddle boats, boat docks, golf cart paths, splash parks, restrooms and shelters at 15 parks.
Commissioner Young said he liked plans for paved golf cart paths, paddle boats and shelters at Armco Park, which features an 18-hole golf course and 110-acre lake.
The county needs to support parks that serve residents who live beyond the limits of other area park systems, Young said. Plus, improvements at Armco Park would complement a planned sports complex across Ohio 741 and help boost sales tax revenues from tourists, he said.
Commissioner South said the other park systems were “not adequate” for the demand in one of Ohio’s fastest growing counties and urged the park board to focus on improvements that would “at least break even.”
Yoder countered that the park board would hesitate to agree to cap funding assistance from the county general fund.
“If that’s the case, we’ll go under,” he said.
The commissioners directed Deputy Administrator Tiffany Zindel to meet with Warren County Port Authority officials to work out the details of financing the park improvements.
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