Time to improve funding for parks

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Dear Editor,

Darke County Park District is one of the reasons our county is great!

Seeing people of all ages using the parks is exciting. We love that there are so many opportunities for the public to enjoy the parks.

The time has come to improve the funding of our parks for needed upgrades, improvements, equipment and personnel. Staffing levels haven’t changed since 2003, but the number of parks has increased as well as the 13 miles of paved trails for walking or bicycling. And, with passage of this additional 1 mill levy, the present ½ mill will stop being collected. The amount you pay for a $100,000 home will be $20 more for the year than you are paying now, or $1.67/month.

We continue to enjoy exploring the 13 Darke County Parks and look forward to the addition of Bear’s Mill, another Darke Co. gem worth preserving forever. And, hopefully Ft. Jefferson can be added. This levy will help the parks maintain over 1000 acres of grassland, wetlands and wildflower areas and the paved trail for the 10 years of the levy as well as provide the educational, recreational and historic aspects of the parks – new additions or old favorites.

We’ve seen the multi-use paved trails added to the county, bringing in some of your state tax dollars to our community. We’ve seen improvement to various parks around the county. All 21 county village and city parks can apply for grants through the Darke County Park Improvement Grant program so everyone benefits. Keeping the grants is another benefit to all with passage of this levy.

The Darke Co. Park District board has proved that they good stewards of the land and our tax dollars. The parks enhance our quality of life!

Please join us in voting FOR the levy on March 17 to continue to see improvement in all parks.

Sincerely,

Steve and Eileen Litchfield

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