Article published October 31, 2007
FOR buses, libraries, parks
TAXES, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote, are the price we pay for a civilized society. Holmes was a 19th-century conservative but foresighted enough to know that communities cannot function efficiently or attract residents without well-run public services. For Lucas County residents, three of the best low-cost amenities are our public transportation, parks, and library systems.
The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Libraries, and the Toledo Area Metroparks each has a levy on the Nov. 6 ballot, and all deserve voter support.
They are all replacement levies, meaning collections will be based the most recent property assessments and that tax bills will rise only nominally. Collectively, the levies would cost the owner of a home appraised at $100,000, the average in Lucas County, just over $4 more a month.
TARTA is asking voters to approve Issue 13, which is a 1.5 mill, 10-year levy to keep it operating in Toledo and several suburbs. The tax increase for the owner of an average home is $13 a year, a bargain considering how vital public transit is in the continuing energy crisis.
TARTA, which has expanded its services and its commitment to environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel, now attracts 5 million riders a year, including some novel ventures. The Muddy Shuttle takes riders to Fifth Third Field and has been key to the Toledo Mud Hens' success. Use of TARPS, a para-transit service for the disabled, has also increased, with 50 buses expected to make 132,000 trips this year. And, because TARTA doesn't have full service in the suburbs, its Call-A-Ride transports riders on demand in seven of them.
With gas prices threatening to top $3 a gallon, more people are compelled to ride TARTA, which is far cheaper than the cost of fuel, parking, and vehicle maintenance. The TARTA fare went to $1 in early 2006, the first rise in 13 years. These days, it's not just low-income residents who are taking the bus, it's those who have figured out it is smart to do so.The Toledo-Lucas County library system is ranked in the top 10 nationwide. The main library downtown and 18 branches constitute a school-after-school, abuzz with students from mid-afternoon to closing during the school year. It's a diverse pool of customers; 3.8 million every year. While librarians are happy to help, the system has kept pace with technology: Users can access the Internet via free wireless at any library, where music and films on CDs and DVDs are among the 6.4 million materials circulated annually.
The libraries' Issue 16 is a 2-mill operating levy that would generate $18.3 million annually over five years. That's nearly half the system's yearly budget. It would replace two 1-mill levies that expire at the end of year, so it's vital that this measure pass.
If it doesn't, library access would diminish with hours slashed, Sunday hours eliminated, and staff and services reduced. Nobody wants that, and the cost to keep the current services is nominal: The levy would raise the average homeowner's tax bill by $20 a year.
After work and school, residents can enjoy any of the 12 Toledo Area Metroparks. That's what many do, considering that 41 percent of county residents visit a metropark at least monthly. Residents like the safe, clean parks, a natural urban oasis. That's why the parks' Issue 15, a 1.4-mill levy, must pass.
The 10-year levy would bring $12.6 million a year and allow for continued maintenance, capital improvements, and programs for children and adults. Contingent on passage of the levy is the park system's 2006 acquisition from the city of Toledo of the 60-acre Toledo Botanical Garden, which will continue to be heavily funded by private donations rather than tax dollars.
For a little less than $16 more a year, the average homeowner gets free entry to the Metroparks to walk or jog, enjoy fresh air, and commune with plant and animal life along the well-maintained pedestrian and bike trails or in the meadows.
Taken together or separately, these valuable public amenities are among the best features that make the Toledo community rich and vibrant. The $49 total annual increased cost to maintain these institutions is a fraction of what they are worth. Vote FOR Issues 13, 15, and 16.
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