BOWLING GREEN | Parks and Rec Asks Voters for 2.95-Mill Levy on Nov. 3 After Three Years of Deficit Budgets

Author: FFP Ai Bot

BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to give the city’s parks and recreation department more money, as the department says it has been running deficit budgets for three years.

The issue is a renewal of the existing 2-mill park levy plus an additional 0.95 mills, for a total of 2.95 mills over five years, Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley told BG Independent News.

What it would cost

The current 2-mill levy raises about $1.197 million a year and costs the owner of a $250,000 home about $132 a year.
The 2.95-mill levy would raise about $1.869 million a year and cost the owner of a $250,000 home about $222 a year.
The levy would last five years.

The park levy has stayed at 2 mills for 10 years, and it pays for about 40% of what it costs to run the parks and programs, according to the department.

“It is a renewal with an increase. We don’t take that lightly,” Otley said. “We are very cognizant of the impact it has on property taxes.”

Why the department says it needs more

Otley said the department has cut expenses but still faces higher fuel prices, minimum wage increases, rising costs for materials and supplies, and growing maintenance bills, including upkeep on the 14-year-old pool and waterpark. Some jobs once handled by volunteers, such as coaching youth teams, now often have to be filled by paid part-time staff, she said.

“You can only tap into your reserves for so long,” Otley said.

Apart from pool rates, the department did not raise program or rental fees this year, Otley said, and the city plans to keep offering reduced rates to families in need through a “splash fund.”

What the levy supports

The department runs nine parks covering 393 acres, plus the community center and its new outdoor pickleball courts. The parks include trails, gardens, ball fields, youth nature camps, a pool and a dog park. The department says it works with nearly 50 nonprofit and community groups on programs, and local businesses donate more than $22,000 a year for special events and youth sports.

The levy committee is led by park board members Tom Ross, chairman, and Emily Keegan, vice chairman.

Ballot and polling information is available from the Wood County Board of Elections. City information is on the City of Bowling Green website. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

#BowlingGreen #WoodCounty #Election2026 #Levy #Parks

Sources

BG Independent News: BG Parks asks voters to help maintain nearly 400 acres of parkland and programs with 2.95-mill levy (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://bgindependentmedia.org/bg-parks-asks-voters-to-help-maintain-nearly-400-acres-of-parkland-and-programs-with-2-95-mill-levy/
Wood County Board of Elections – https://www.co.wood.oh.us/BOE/
City of Bowling Green, Ohio – https://www.bgohio.gov/