Lake Wylie residents will vote this fall on a tax to buy park land. What we know now.
Lake Wylie residents will get to vote this fall on a new special tax district to help buy land and create parks.
York County Council met at noon Thursday. Council adopted a resolution to certify a public petition. The decision puts the formation of a new tax district on the general election ballot in November.
“This is basically the people of Lake Wylie, to decide to vote to create a tax district or not to create a tax district,” said Councilwman Allison Love, who represents the area. “This would be the same footprint of the recreation park in Lake Wylie, where the people elected to tax themselves for the recreation park. This is similar.”
As early as September, the county could open Field Day Park in Lake Wylie. The park will have sports field space and other amenities. That decades-long effort involves county hospitality tax funding and money from a recreation tax district set up to support the park. Lake Wylie also has a special fire tax district to support Bethel Volunteer Fire Department.
The special tax districts are similar to others for fire in unincorporated parts of York County. Lake Wylie ranks among the largest unincorporated places by population.
“We’re kind of used to paying for things ourselves,” Love said.
More than 15% of eligible voters within the proposed new tax district signed a petition to bring about the vote in November. The tax district would use the same boundaries as the recreation tax area for Field Day Park. It covers about 29,000 people.
The question will ask voters whether the Bethel/Lake Wylie Land Acquisition and Preservation Park District should be formed. Money from the tax district would be used to acquire property for green space, conservation, historic restoration, passive recreation and interactive community uses, per the new ballot question.
It would have a $10 million construction or land acquisition cap. Annual expenses wouldn’t exceed $500,000. There would be a cap of five mills per year, with a governing board set up with the district to determine exact annual tax rates and costs.
A committee will form to provide information on the tax impact prior to the November vote.
Lake Wylie has been through a long list of strategic and area plans, land use surveys, studies and related efforts the past two decades. A common thread among many of them is a desire for green space.
“The people have always wanted green space,” Love said. “Green space is high on the lists for most of the people in Lake Wylie. We don’t have a lot of parks now. This would actually create that.”
Love didn’t offer support for or criticism of the new tax district plan on Thursday. She said her feelings changed with time on Field Day Park, as she and others in the community saw it go from community idea to advocated plan, to a county- and voter-approved project that nears its grand opening.
“It is a fantastic park,” Love said. “Early on I was a little reluctant, and eventually I realized whether I use it or not, it’s about community. This really is community.”
