Those who don’t follow local government closely might not understand the recent controversy between the Macomb Park District and the City of Macomb. The Park District is charged with maintaining parks within Macomb, and it levies property taxes for that purpose to the maximum allowed by law, funding nine full-time, year-around employees in addition to seasonal workers. The Park District Board also wants the city to pay $130,000 per year to manage and maintain the “city’s” parks and swimming pool. This is double taxation. I see that the Park Board was recently congratulated for turning a $250,000 “profit” last year. It seems that the Park District is more than adequately funded, staffed and equipped to take care of all the parks in Macomb without subsidy from the city.

I’ve decided to go public with this because of the arrogance of certain members of the Park Board. Negotiations seemed to be going well before the city balked at paying what the Park Board is demanding. From that point on, the board has continually undercut the city’s negotiating committee by criticizing them at a board meeting, skewing the city’s financial projections, and publicly pushing the City Council to accept the Park Board’s demands – all or nothing. The Park Board professes to be watching out for the taxpayer.

How do these tactics serve the taxpayer?

Ed Lavin, Ward 2 Alderman, City of Macomb