GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This November, voters in Grand Rapids will decide if taxpayers will pay a permanent millage to maintain the city's 74 parks and three pools. It would make the current seven-year millage permanent and would be an average of about $70 a year.
"Great cities have great parks," said the co-chair for Neighbors for Parks, Pools and Playgrounds, Michael Lomonaco.
That concept is the basis for the citizen-led millage campaign.
"Neighbors for Parks, Pools and Playgrounds was a group that was formed in 2013 that led the successful millage that we're currently in," Lomonaco said.
Prior to 2013, he says the parks were in shambles.
"Parks in the City of Grand Rapids were in disrepair," Lomonaco said. "We had a considerable backlog of maintenance, broken equipment, closed sections of parks and it wasn't reflective of the community Grand Rapids strives to be."
Riverside Park neighbor Rick Williams and his grandson are out at the park often.
"I come once a week; twice a week when my grandson shows up," Williams said.
He's seen what it looks like when the parks aren't taken care of.
"[There are] signs up 'please pick up,' and trash cans right next to the trash," Williams said.
That kind of mess is why he thinks a permanent park millage might be a good idea.
"It's important that they get maintained, otherwise they're just going to become a pit," Williams said.
Neighbor Amy Orban, agrees.
"We're outside all the time so I think it's probably a good use of money," Orban said.
She and her dog Koda are always outside walking.
"There's lots of different distractions and dogs and people and kids and skateboards and bikes and all of that kind of stuff," Orban said.
She believes humans should be outdoors as often as they can.
"It's very healing to be out in nature so that's why I'm always out here even when it's a blizzard or a rain storm or whatever," Orban said.
Lomanaco couldn't agree more.
"In today's world, we are so connected to technology in so many good ways, but there are so few truly democratic spaces left where people can come together and be with family, be with friends and can celebrate away from our screens," Lomanaco said.
If this millage does pass in November, it would take effect Jan.1 2021.
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