Waupaca schools may help pay for city’s park and rec
By Robert Cloud
Town board members from Dayton, Farmington, Waupaca and Lind believe the public should have more input regarding a proposed Fund 80 tax.
Under Fund 80, the Waupaca School District would levy a tax to support the city of Waupaca’s youth recreational programs.
All property owners within the district would pay the Fund 80 tax.
Fund 80 would be separate from the district’s operating, debt services and capital expenditures levies and not fall under its state revenue limits.
In the past, the towns of Dayton, Farmington and Waupaca have contributed toward the costs of the city’s recreational programs.
The three townships combined pay about $125,000 annually.
Lind, which has residents living in both the Waupaca and Weyauwega-Fremont school districts, does not currently pay toward Waupaca’s rec programs.
Parts of the towns of Lanark, Belmont, Scandinavia, St. Lawrence, Royalton and Saxeville are also in the district.
The total equalized value for all property within the district is about $1.5 billion.
Fund 80 revenues
The city is asking the school board to approve a $350,000 Fund 80 tax.
Kathy Kasza, the city’s finance director, said the the Fund 80 levy would result in an additional tax rate of less than 2 cents per $1,000 of equalized value.
In the city of Waupaca, the median home value is $157,600, which would result in a tax increase of $3.15 under Fund 80.
Kasza said the city would reduce its tax levy by $80,000, as well as forego the $125,000 it currently receives from the towns.
“The towns will not be required to reduce their levies, but it may be in their interests to do so,” Kasza said at a May 7 Common Council meeting.
City Parks and Recreation Director Andrew Whitman said Fund 80 can provide revenues for community-based programs, including youth programs, the youth center, the senior center, summer activities and the senior center.
The city’s Park and Rec budget is about $795,000, excluding the cemetery.
Part of its revenues come from fees paid by participants.
Residents of the city and of the towns of Dayton, Farmington and Waupaca pay lower fees.
They pay between $30 and $60 to participate.
Non-residents pay as much as $225 to participate in the city’s recreational programs.
“Current funding for youth programs doesn’t provide equal access,” Whitman said.
As a result of rising fees, the number of non-resident participants dropped from 162 in 2015 to 77 in 2018.
Participation among residents has also dropped from 1,526 in 2015 to 1,376 in 2018.
“As our prices increase, the amount of particpation has gone down,” Whitman said.
Towns’ concerns
“Any school district can establish a Fund 80 without any outside input,” according to Dayton Town Board member John Miller.
He said the towns have no way to veto how Fund 80 revenues are spent.
“If the school district wanted to, they can use Fund 80 to build a swimming pool,” Miller said.
Miller believes town boards should be able to participate in future discussions about Fund 80 levies and expenditures.
“We have to get a seat at the table,” Miller said.
Farmington Town Chair Caroline Murphy said she is concerned town boards and the school board will have no oversight over how the Fund 80 money is spent.
She also wants town boards to have some oversight of Fund 80 expenditures.
Dayton Town Board member Dave Armstrong noted the towns had input in the past because their shares of park and rec expenses were negotiated annually.
Fund 80 meeting
The Waupaca School Board’s Finance Committee will meet at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, at the high school community room to discuss Fund 80.