By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
With the Cass County parks millage soundly defeated Nov. 7, Dowagiac is returning its attention to creation of a recreation authority.
"I personally think that's probably the way to go," City Manager Bill Nelson said Monday night. "I did have some conversation with several of the townships, as well as the school district over the past several months about a recreation authority.
"We elected to not really get into that to any great extent because, frankly, the county was running a millage and there were concerns that were expressed by some of the townships about not wanting to compete. We essentially stepped back to let the millage stand on its merits and see how the voters felt about it. Given those results (9,750 no-5,931 yes on the four-year, half-mill proposal), it's time to get to work" and to build on "those good initial conversations."
"I'm hopeful we can make something work," Nelson said, "and it ties in with the budget issue. Our cooperative efforts," from the drug team the city shares with the Sheriff's Office to the District Library, "help us in numerous ways to provide much better services with our modest city resources. I look forward to working on that."
"If you recall how we structured the library authority, we took a district that included the City of Dowagiac and several townships and were able to actually reduce the millage Dowagiac citizens were paying by involving various other government agencies," Mayor Don Lyons said.
"In this day of shrinking budgets and revenues, that's certainly one of the very best ways to leverage our dollars, is to cooperate with other entities to get something considerably greater than any of us would be able to do on our own. When you look at recreational needs and opportunities, so much overlaps with what's going on in the townships and school district.
"It just makes sense to bring them all together in an attempt to do something for this area that will serve our needs," Lyons said. "As Bill said, we had started down that road when it became obvious the county" was going to put a millage proposal before the electorate. "We backed off, and appropriately so."
Because of its 20-year taxing authority, a recreation authority could be the path to deliver such big-ticket items as a public swimming pool, a recreation center, parks, a museum or even an historic farm.
The Legislature created recreation authorities with Public Act 321 of 2000. They are governed by a board citizens nominate.
Howard Hall had asked his First Ward council members if they would support an elected park and recreation board.
"I'd have to say no," Darron Murray said. "As soon as you do that – and you saw it last week – people start saying things they don't mean just so they can get elected. Personally, I've got a problem with that. But I'll tell you what I would like to see. I'd like to see it expanded to include more of the school system, as well as some of the townships. We should look bigger and think bigger and combine some resources."
Added Donna O'Konski, "I pretty much feel the same way as Darron as far as your question. I feel no (elected park board) also. The correct way for us to move is toward a recreation authority."
Hall said whenever there are half days, as happened last week during parent-teacher conferences at the high school and middle school, "Police were called to the library because there was a pretty large fight outside. Saturday there was a fight at (DMS). Today police got called for a fight at the car wash. This all goes back to these kids needing something to do. If these kids had somewhere to go on that half-day, they wouldn't be congregating in groups of 15, 20 or 25 kids. Maybe the parks and recreation board can figure something out – especially on the half days, when most of the problems are."
Hall thanked City Clerk James Snow and his 18 poll workers for the smooth conduct of Tuesday's election. "No problems, no errors." Turnout was 36 percent in Dowagiac.
Hall informed Mayor Lyons that a group of residents at Chestnut Towers want him considered for appointment to the Housing Commission. "I didn't ask them, they came to me."
Lyons said City Clerk James Snow will continue to serve for the mayor on the tri-county Southwestern Michigan Commission.