Waupaca tax proposal forwarded without recommendation
By Robert Cloud
The Finance Committee voted Friday, Aug. 30, to bring the Fund 80 tax proposal to the Waupaca School Board.
However, the proposal will go to the board without a recommendation.
The city of Waupaca asked the school board to levy a $350,000 Fund 80 tax to help cover Park and Recreation expenses.
Fund 80 revenues can be used for community programs, including senior centers and programs, youth centers and youth sports.
The city’s primary goal is to have a secondary revenue source so youth who live outside the city can pay lower fees to participate in recreational activities.
Currently, residents pay between $30 and $60 per program.
Non-residents pay as much as $225 per program.
Residents of the towns of Dayton, Farmington and Waupaca pay the lower resident fees because the towns have entered into agreements with the city.
The three towns pay a total of $125,000 annually to the city.
Dale Feldt, a member of the school’s Finance Committee, lives in the town of Lanark.
“It can be very expensive for families who live in towns with no agreement with the city,” Feldt said.
Towns seek input
Dayton Town Chair John Miller noted Dayton contributed $52,000 toward the city’s Park and Rec program this year.
He suggested Fund 80 was an attempt by the city to avoid answering the town boards’ concerns regarding where the money was being spent.
“We started asking questions: Is it being utilized for the kids in Dayton or for general spending?” Miller said.
Dave Armstrong, a Dayton Town Board member, said the towns are concerned they are being locked out of the budget.
City Administrator Aaron Jenson presented numbers indicating school district student participation levels from the city and each of the towns covered by the agreement.
Of the 784 students in park and rec programs, 202 are from Farmington, 135 are from Dayton and 98 are from the town of Waupaca.
The remaining 349 students live in the city of Waupaca.
About 46% of the Waupaca School District students living in the city or one of the towns with an agreement participate in city rec programs.
Of the 275 Waupaca School District students living in towns that do not have agreements with city, only 9% participate in city rec programs.
Committee member Mark Polebitski said Fund 80 was a matter of equity.
“I’m talking about equity not in dollar terms but in terms of opportunity for all these kids,” Polebitski said.
The committee forwarded the proposal to the school board for a decision at its 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, meeting.