city government
Independent study supports redistribution of citywide parks and recreation taxes
|
An independent New Orleans research group is backing the proposal to replace three existing property taxes into one millage for citywide parks and recreation. But there’s a caveat: If passed, the city is urged to monitor the park agencies’ spending plans and performance outlined in a cooperative endeavor agreement. The Bureau of Governmental Research, a nonprofit public-policy research organization, released this morning their study on the City-Wide Parks and Recreation Proposal. The proposal allows the city to reallocate taxpayer revenue for park spaces, while tacking on inter-agency cooperation among the city’s four park powers: City Park, the Audubon Commission, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, and Parks and Parkways. This ordinance does not include tax increases for residents; it just redistributes current revenue to help improve citywide infrastructure while assisting the lesser-funded agencies.