MANSFIELD — Richland County Park District Executive Director Jason Larson finally managed a sigh of relief on Tuesday afternoon, though his first deep breath may not come for another 10 days.
“I don’t know if it’s excitement or relief … or both all rolled into one,” he said.
The Richland County Board of Elections on Tuesday certified the May 2 primary election results, including the passage of the first countywide property tax levy for the park district.
According to the board, after 123 ballots (mostly provisional and absentee) were added to Election Day totals, the 0.65-mill, 10-year levy was approved with 6,209 votes in favor and 6,172 against — a difference of 37 votes.
On Election Night, the difference between winning and losing was just 13 votes.
However, that final difference of 0.3 percent falls within the automatic recount difference of one-half of 1 percent. The board will start that recount on May 23, a process that will take a couple of days.
The bipartisan Board of Elections will meet again May 26 at 10 a.m. to finalize the issue.
“It was a nail-biter on Election Night and then it was a nail-biter for two more weeks,” Larson said Tuesday afternoon.
“Going into a recount, I was going to feel good with a margin of 25 to 30 votes. I feel even better now.
“I am pretty confident at this time in saying, yes, we finally did pass the levy,” Larson said.
The levy will generate about $1.6 million annually and will cost the owner of a home with an appraised value of $100,000 about $23 per year.
The park district board approved a 10-year strategic plan in 2022 that included passage of the levy.
One early step with the new funding will be to more fully open the Fleming Falls Nature Preserve, the former 183-acre Camp Mowana the district acquired in 2019.
“We took that on, hoping to eventually open it to the public like the Gorman Nature Center. To do things like that, you need funding. You need to have staff available. You need to have money for maintenance and equipment,” Larson has
Thus far, the nature preserve has generally only been open on weekends. Larson said the district would like to eventually have it open on a daily basis, which would require additional security, staffing, restrooms and trash removal service.
“Fleming Falls is a highlight property and something everyone has been wanting to get into,” Larson said. “This levy will enable us to better serve the public through education, conservation and recreation.
“We look forward to an exciting future of preserving our country’s natural beauty and teaching future generations to love the great outdoors.
“We recognize that this was a close election. Over the next 10 years, we will prove to residents that our park district is a worthwhile investment that greatly improves quality of life in our county,” he said.
The park district includes locations like the Gorman Nature Center, the B&O Bike Trail, the Fleming Falls Nature Preserve and the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail.
“We all worked hard for this (levy). It was a long time coming and we are so thankful we have the support we have,” Larson said. “Every vote counts in races like this.”
