Village Council side bar— Less green space funds
- Published: April 24, 2014
At their April 7 meeting, Village Council members voted 3–2 to add $25,000 for green space to the 2014 capital project budget. Karen Wintrow, Lori Askeland and Brian Housh voted for the funding, and Marianne MacQueen and Gerry Simms voted against. Council will vote on the capital fund legislation at its April 21 meeting.
In the past, the Village has included $50,000 a year for green space funding, and Tecumseh Land Trust Director Krista Magaw encouraged Council to do so again, since the need to purchase easements in the Jacoby Creek area could come up at any time. Currently, the Village green space fund has a balance of $245,950, but about $100,000 is committed to the preservation effort for Glen Helen, Magaw said. In the past the Village has used estate tax funds for green space funding, but that tax has been eliminated.
Because the Village in 2014 has a budget with deficit spending, Marianne MacQueen encouraged Council to determine green space priorities before adding more to the fund.
Wintrow, who previously expressed caution about adding to the green space fund in 2014, ended up voting for the reduced green space funding, which was proposed by Housh.
“This gives me pause,” she said. “I don’t want to create a larger deficit but there is something symbolic about it, and the community seems to support it.”
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