Update On Proposal Meetings From Councilman Lee Alexis
There are two meetings currently scheduled to discuss the formation of Recreation District 10. Plans for the proposed millage are out, and they include possible additions such as a skate board park and sand volleyball, among other sports and activities. Please attend one or both of the meetings to voice your opinion on Recreation District 10. The first of the two meetings will be Wednesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Tammany Parish Library on W. 21st Ave. The second meeting will be held on Monday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 222 Kirkland St.
What Is The Recreation District 10 Proposal?
Voters in the RD10 district will be asked to approve new property taxes on a May ballot to allow for the formation of a new recreation district; previous proposals by RD10 have been defeated three times. According to Covington resident Wayne Scheyd via Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany (www.ccstp.org), there are some issues to be addressed from previous public meetings: 1. The proposal requires that the City of Covington give away a bought and paid for multi million dollar facility. 2. The RD10 proposal levies a new tax in addition to what is currently dedicated to recreation. 3. Residents of Covington will bear over half of the financial burden with less than 1/3 representation on the board. 4. The RD10 will also impose additional usage fees. According to the 2014 City of Covington budget, the Covington Recreation Department has a budget of roughly $535,000/year that the City hopes to reduce or eliminate with the transition to RD10.
