As Basin Rec develops its new strategic plan – a plan that will take the district into the next decade - it’s also looking to increase its funding in order to hire more staff and retain current employees.
A proposed tax increase would levy an extra $8.20 charge annually for every $100,000 of home value. So a home valued at $1 million would be charged an additional $82 per year.
Recreation District Superintendent Matt Wagoner said it’s all part of growth and a need for more services in the community.
“We're trying to ramp up operations because we are expanding,” Wagoner said. “We're going to need to have enough staff to operate that facility once it opens. So, we're trying to think ahead and we kind of need to start doing that now. So, I would probably characterize us as a little understaffed right now. So, we're, we're playing catch up but we're also trying to plan for the future. So that includes some new positions in that truth and taxation proposal.”
Wagoner said one piece of the strategic action plan is the development of a new recreation facility on the 100 acres the district owns in Silver Creek Village.
“We also have a 10-year planning horizon on that but that involves, you know, planned development, fundraising, bonding, that sort of thing to eventually build out in that timeframe. And then a five-year trails and open space master plan. And that's an update to an existing document. But it's a shorter timeline because, you know, that tends to be a bit more opportunistic. We acquire open space or build trails where we can but there's still some questions we'd like to ask the community.”
That public engagement he said will happen after the new year. Some of the ideas they’ve heard so far are the need for another field house and indoor pickleball courts.
