MANSFIELD — Residents of the City of Mansfield will have income tax continuations to decide on May 2.
The PRIDE Tax, which stands for parks and recreation, illumination and demolition and emergency services, is looking to continue its quarter percent on income tax.
The tax was approved in 2014 and has generated about $3.7 million per year since, said Mark Abrams, parks and recreation director for the city. The PRIDE Tax allots 50 percent to Mansfield’s Fire and Police departments, 22 percent to the Parks and Recreation Department, 20 percent demolition and eight percent to illumination.
Abrams is in charge of the continuation project this year.
“Each individual issue on there is important to the city,” Abrams said. “Those things are solely funded by this PRIDE levy. There are no additional dollars from the general fund.
“So that means the maintenance in the parks. With the demolitions, the tearing down of abandoned buildings is important. We kind of need to spruce the city up.”
The PRIDE Levy has supported the city in light of its economic challenges. Abrams said the levy has helped the Mansfield Police Department purchase new cruisers and update firearms.
“The street lights, if you were around for that in 2008, they turned out every other street light, since then we have turned on 766 street lights,” Abrams said. “That’s an important thing.”
Eric Miller, chairman of the “I hate potholes” levy, said he hopes not just his levy passes, but all four, the PRIDE levy, the Streets and Park Roads levy and the two school levies.
This past year the levy generated $3.5 million, city engineer Bob Bianchi said. The city will typically spend between $3 million and $3.7 million, “depending on revenue and cash reserves at the given time.”
The levy is up for continuation every four years.
The quarter of a percent income tax has existed since 1985, Miller said, and is limited to only resurfacing city streets and park roads.
“We have 285 miles of roads. Roads are paved as needed,” he said. “Roughly, that’s every 10 years.”
Miller said for many of Mansfield’s state routes, the city can find matching funds from the state to pay for a part of the resurfacing.
“By virtue of this tax, the city is able to use state funds for resurfacing,” Miller said.
Miller added each year he runs an audit to confirm taxpayers money goes to the appropriate place.
“The city is always in compliance.” he said. “The levy is for resurface only (within the city) not to make new streets.
“The city has always been good about complying.”
Miller added it would be a loss if only his levy passed.
“It’s not enough just to have great streets,” he said. “We have to pass the four levies to make this community better. Our committee would consider it a failure if only our levy passed.”
