"A special ordinance calling an election on August 5, 2008 in the City of Springfield, Missouri, to submit to the qualified voters a question as to whether or not to continue a one-eighth of one percent transportation sales tax on retail sales within the City of Springfield, Missouri, for high priority transportation improvements, providing for a sunset on the tax at the end of four years, and declaring an emergency."
One thing on the list of items approved for expenditures from this sales tax revenue that Springfield voters may not realize is:
Center City Parking
Revenue from the 1/8-cent sales tax for transportation will be used to construct additional parking in Center City to enhance current revitalization efforts.
Another use of the funds people might find of interest is its subsidy of the parks.
In 1998-1999 several projects were completed involving parking and other improvement projects for area parks. One might question whether it is a good use of transportation funds for roofing, building expansions, etc., considering parks already has their own funding - some might consider the parking lots and facilities in area parks as being part and parcel of the respective park.
Some examples, projects completed unless noted otherwise:
Cooper Park Soccer Improvements
Chesterfield Park/Gym Multipurpose Wing
Greenway Development
Nathanael Greene Park Parking
Oak Grove Community Center Roof
Park Improvements Programs
PK Land/School/PK Land Acquisiton - ongoing
Park Reforestation/Irrigation
Ray Kelly Senior Center Expansion
Washington Park Improvement
Young-Lilley Park Improvement
Zoo Improvement ADA Requirement
I thought people might like to know that the funds can be used to fund Center City parking garages and subsidize the parks. Everyone likes to have a place to park when heading to "Center City," (which seems to keep expanding, by the way - that's another item on the agenda) and people can decide whether they think the parks ought to be paying for their own parking lots and improvements or if the transportation fund should be subsidizing that for them.
Edit: The parks projects were not a part of the Transportation Tax Funding. That was a different tax. I still think it was confusing to list it on the informational page for transportation funding. Ms. Whall has provided me with a link to a page that doesn't include it but that doesn't change the fact that it was included on the page I viewed, originally. I am trying to get some additional information that I will post regarding the general nature of what the transportation tax can be used for before adding any more. I'll have a separate post on that soon. - J.
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