JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Members of the public check out the display boards at a Minot Park District open house Wednesday, May 20, to learn more about a proposed half percent sales tax that will be on the June 9 ballot.

Minot voters will be asked to vote a second time on a half percent sales tax for the Minot Park District when they go to the polls June 9.

The first time around, the focus had been on a new turf facility, which is still in the long-term plan, Park Board President Chelsea Kirkhammer said of the measure that voters narrowly rejected 954-979 last June. The current focus for the sales tax is maintenance to existing facilities, she said.

The park board has identified $26.76 million in maintenance needs.

A half percent sales tax is estimated to generate about $6.5 million a year and would be accompanied by a 40% property tax reduction from 38 to 26 mills. The 26-mill cap would sunset June 30, 2046, while the sales tax would remain in effect indefinitely unless repealed or amended after June 30, 2046.

The owner of a $250,000 home in Minot would save $155 in property taxes. To not see a savings, that homeowner would need to spend an additional $31,100 on taxable purchases in Minot, Kirkhammer said. The higher the home value, the greater the savings. For instance, the owner of a $400,000 home would save $248 in property taxes and would need to spend $49,752 on taxable items to not see savings.

The park district held an informational open house Wednesday, May 20, to help educate voters about its plans.

Community members supporting the Minot Parks funding realignment proposal have formally launched the Yes for Minot Parks Committee, which they describe as a grassroots effort focused on sharing information and encouraging community engagement ahead of the June 9 election.

Committee co-chair Beth Feldner said the committee is working with user groups and others who use the parks.

“We just believe it’s so important for our community, for the parks, to have access to more funding so that we can accomplish all the things that we want to accomplish. And the longevity of these regional assets really should be funded by our region,” Feldner said.

About 30% of Minot’s sales tax is paid by visitors from outside the city limits, according to the park district. About 55% of visitors to park amenities are from out of city limits.

The committee is getting the word out through billboards, door hangers and media and is encouraging people to vote.

“We strongly believe the last time it didn’t pass was just because of voter turnout,” Feldner said of the low count in that special election.

The maintenance needs that a sales tax would help fund include $13.6 million of improvements at Roosevelt Park Zoo, $3.5 million at Souris Valley Golf Course, $3 million at the North Hill softball complex and $2.85 million at Corbett Field, according to park district information.

In addition, projects are planned at the Optimist Soccer Complex, Maysa Arena, Hammond Park, SCHEELS Complex, Leach Park, Green Valley, Woodland Trail, Cameron Tennis Center and John Hoeven ballpark.

The park district has estimated $561,000 in maintenance needs at the Minot Municipal Auditorium, which includes a roof replacement and heating and cooling system work.

Some of the proposed projects are deferred maintenance, particularly at the auditorium and Cameron, said Elly DesLauriers, Minot Parks executive director. All the maintenance projects are on a list to get done at a pace the park district can afford.

“We can just use sales tax as an opportunity to get them done faster, and we want to get them done in order to provide the quality of life we want as a park district,” DesLauriers said.

If approved by voters, the sales tax would take effect this fall.

“Our hope is that it would lessen our need to rely on property taxes, so even after that 20-year cap is over, we can lower the mills even more, and more of our funding would come from sales tax than property tax,” Kirkhammer said.