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09 <br />PACE 927 <br />recreation is getting too big, we're spending too much money, at one <br />point we got up to almost a million dollars, and now we're trying to <br />cut back as far as taxes are concerned. This is one reason some of <br />us voted as we did at the last meeting. Five thousand dollars is not <br />that much but when you take what is going to be out there (at the <br />park), which will be a total of three softball and one soccer field <br />plus the walking trail, then that. would total to around $29,000 <br />maintenance each year in today's dollars. Because of that reason and <br />we're trying to be more conservative with the tax payers money, some <br />of us voted the way we did at the last meeting. Yes, the youth do <br />need more playing space and that's why I voted for it today and I <br />want to see more fields come but there were some underlying reasons <br />why the vote went as it did at the last meeting." <br />Commissioner Garner made the following statement. "The people <br />in 1971, voted for themselves, up to a ten-cent tax increase for the <br />purpose of financing and supporting recreation. Over the years, to <br />my knowledge, we have never exceeded four-cents and at the current <br />rate we are taxing into about three point four cents on the dollar of <br />the ten-cents that has been approved by the people in 1971 dollars. <br />That means since 1971 we've had about three revaluations and we're <br />currently operating for tax purposes at about three and one-half <br />cents of the ten-cents that were approve by the people." <br />Commissioner Cox made the following statement. "Since this <br />vote, at the last meeting, I've been accused of everything from <br />taking the play away from children, which I'm not. I've talked with <br />some of you here in this room and I think you understand my position. <br />I'm not against recreation. I am against anything that's going to <br />raise the budget for Lee County. I don't like clubs or any <br />individual giving something to the County with strings attached and <br />that is what this is, it's going to continue to cost the County from <br />here on out. I would like to say the clubs, or people, that want to <br />give something to the County of Lee should look into ways of helping <br />the County out by doing more for the maintenance of what they are <br />giving. I voted against it at the last meeting and I've voted <br />against it today." <br />Commissioner Dossenbach made <br />the <br />following statement. <br />"I <br />certainly don't want any of the clubs <br />in <br />Lee County to feel that <br />we <br />don't appreciate what they do, I'm a <br />mem <br />ber of the Lions Club an <br />d I <br />know what we do for the blind. All t <br />he <br />other civic clubs do a <br />good <br />job and I want you to keep offering, <br />we <br />don't necessarily have <br />to <br />accept, but we can talk about it and <br />you <br />do a terrific job, so <br />lets <br />not stop what we've doing." <br />Commissioner Reives made the following statement. "I voted no <br />today against the idea but for the following reasons: 1) I don't <br />approve of land being offered and donated to the County with <br />conditions; 2) I think we have adequate space not being currently <br />used at this time; and 3) I think it's time that we're talking about <br />2 <br />