opinion

Raab: Parks already flush with cash

Marc Raab is a Mount Washington resident.

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Enquirer-sponsored park levy debate at the Phoenix on Monday night. Both sides made compelling arguments, and both sides also agreed on a few points, most notably their love for our parks.

They also agreed the city’s residents should have had a guaranteed say, written into the charter amendment, providing an avenue for community participation. Right now all we have is someone’s word.

Proponent Brewster Rhoads admitted the levy is not perfect. Is it not much to ask that something that will live on in our city charter, forever, be as thoroughly vetted as possible?

According to a recent article, three council members support the parks tax and six members of council are either against or undecided on Issue 22. These six council members reflect the grassroots opposition group that’s providing a voice against the Cincinnati Park Board-funded commercial blitz for Issue 22. It’s Democrats and Republicans, friends of Mayor John Cranley and those on Cranley’s blacklist. These six council members most assuredly love our parks, too.

Much has changed since petitioners gathered signatures for this charter amendment. The city announced it has a $19 million budget surplus. This is on top of the $18 million surplus from last year. The city also agreed to sell Blue Ash airport for $8.3 million, and will receive a revenue stream for decades that will net the city millions more. And it was revealed that the park foundation has $32 million in the bank.

In other words, our city and parks department are flush with cash. Yet they still want more of your cash.

I would like to call on the six undecided or opposed members of council to offer an alternative plan. The current plan was developed with no input from the public and no input from council. It buries the tax in the charter, where it will reside forever, while offering no guarantees that the public will have ever have a say in how the money is spent.

We can do better. We deserve better. We can improve our parks and implement many of the new projects proposed without creating a new, permanent tax. Time to get to work, City Council.