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Park Bonds mixed up in Braves deal and why funding is critical now

6/26/2016

Under threat of development: 23-acre Furr Property selected in 2009 for purchase

MDJ Editorial Park Bonds mixed up in Braves deal and why funding is critical now

Here’s a short history on how Park Bond 2008 became mixed up in Braves stadium funding:

• In 2008, 67 percent of Cobb citizens voted for a $40 million Park Bond referendum to save land as parks.

• In 2009, the Board of Commissioners chose not to fund the Park Bond due to the economy, though the County notified 29 landowners their properties were ideal for parkland purchase with the 2008 Park Bond.

• In 2013, Cobb County announced the property tax rate originally intended for Park Bond repayment in the Debt Service Fund would be “shifted” into the $400 million Braves stadium financing. The problem with the transfer is it doesn’t include funding the 2008 Park Bond Referendum voters approved.

• Since 2014, the Cobb Parks Coalition and other like-minded groups have pushed for Park Bond 2008 to be fully funded before the tax shift.

To avoid the controversy of Braves stadium funding superseding Park Bond funding, the Board of Commissioners has a simple solution: Fully fund the $40 million Park Bond approved by referendum before moving the Debt Service Fund taxes into Braves stadium bonds.
Commissioner Lee’s communication director Kellie Brownlow recently noted the overall property tax rate in Cobb County has been lowered by .5 millage points. (See Ms. Brownlow’s blog comments on the Field of Schemes article “Cobb County spent all its money on Braves stadium, doesn’t have enough left for public parks”.)

It’s unclear why the Board of Commissioners would decrease the property tax millage rate, but then not fund the $40 million Park Bond referendum voters approved 8 years ago. Even a small portion of that tax decrease could easily pay for the entire 2008 Park Bond and solve this funding dilemma.

Two main reasons why Park Bond 2008 funding is so critical now:

• Threat of Development: Many of the 29 properties selected for purchase with the 2008 Park Bond funds have already been developed. Many other listed Park Bond properties are under threat of development, such as the 46-acre Bells Ferry property in North Cobb, the 23-acre Furr property in South Cobb, and the 54-acre Tritt property in East Cobb, among others.

• Greenspace Goals: Cobb’s stated goal in the 2030 Plan is to save at least 10.5 percent of county land as greenspace. Currently Cobb has less than 7 percent saved, so Cobb needs to purchase more than 8,000 acres to achieve their goal. For perspective, Park Bond 2006 saved fewer than 400 acres, and no parkland has been purchased in Cobb for nearly a decade.
To encourage the Board of Commissioners to fully fund Park Bond 2008, park bond supporters have sent Commissioners more than 1,000 emails, spoken eloquently at Board of Commissioners meetings, and written many letters to the editor.

The Board of Commissioners should do the right thing by fully funding the $40 million Park Bond 2008 before moving the property taxes originally intended for park bond repayment into any other project, such as the Braves stadium. If there are plenty of Debt Service funds available for both projects, then it’s really a matter of the Board of Commissioners stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run to honor the vote of the people.

Jennifer Burke of Marietta is a member of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

MDJ Editorial Park Bonds mixed up in Braves deal and why funding is critical now

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AROUND TOWN: Pruning puzzlement over parks bonds

6/25/2016

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MDJ Article: Around Town: Pruning puzzlement over parks bonds

ALL THE BACK AND FORTH over the issuance (and/or non-issuance) of bonds to purchase green space in Cobb County is heating up with the runoff election just a month away. It’s a frequent topic at commission meetings, often appears in the MDJ Letters to the Editor column and is knocking around the internet like a pinball off a flipper.

Despite all the exposure, though, the issues aren’t fully understood.

Confusion has resulted because, like many things left to the politicians and bureaucrats, the various bond programs and their relationships to each other are overly complicated.

But misunderstandings also have resulted because the parks bonds and their link to the construction of SunTrust Park have become a political football for the upcoming runoff election between incumbent Cobb Chairman Tim Lee and challenger Mike Boyce.

If it’s going to loom largely in the election’s outcome, it’s important for people to have a clear understanding of the issue. And that’s just not been happening.

Case in point: Some believe that the county has been collecting taxes on the “2008 Parks Bond” despite the fact the bonds were never issued. This has led some to ask how that money has been spent if not for parklands. The point is illustrated by this excerpt from a recently submitted Letter to the Editor:

“Property taxes for all three Park Bonds (1996, 2006 and 2008) have been collected for years, but the 2008 Park Bond has not been issued, and not one acre of parkland has been purchased in nearly a decade. Many wonder where the tax money for the 2008 Park Bond went. Why have property taxes been collected for the 1996, 2006 and 2008 Park Bonds, yet the $40 million Park Bond 2008 has not been spent?”

The confusion comes from what is referred to by “2008 Parks Bond.” Some use the term when referring to the referendum approved by voters in November of 2008. Others interpret the term to refer to the parks bonds approved in 2006, but issued in 2008.

To clear up the matter, Around Town questioned Bill Volckmann, assistant comptroller for Cobb County, who refuted the statement and confirmed that the county had not been collecting money for bonds that were never issued. Here is his reply:

“The property taxes that are collected in the County’s debt service fund can only be used to pay the debt service on the County’s existing General Obligation Bonds. The County currently has three General Obligation Bonds outstanding (see below). The County did not issue the additional $40 million of Parks Bonds approved by the voters on Nov. 8, 2008. Again, the tax collections are needed to pay the existing debt service on the outstanding bonds. The County is not collecting taxes for the $40 million in parks that were approved by the voters, but not issued.”

Mr. Volckmann also provided a nifty table that makes things easier to understand.
While there are other disagreements and misconceptions out there over the parks bonds, Around Town’s intent here was to address what had been brought to our attention.

MDJ Article: Around Town: Pruning puzzlement over parks bonds

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In response to MDJ Genie in a Bottle Editorial

6/17/2016

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In response to the MDJ's “A Genie in a Bottle” editorial, we know the NBC Sports [Cobb County Georgia can't fund its public parks because of Braves stadium], Sports Illustrated [Cobb County redirected fund for public parks to build Braves stadium], and Field of Schemes [Cobb County spent all its money on Braves stadium; doesn't have enough left for public parks] stories are correct in terms of the Board of Commissioners' plan to redirect the $40 million Park Bond 2008 funds into the $400 million Braves finance package before actually funding any parkland purchase as voters intended by referendum in 2008.

To avoid the current controversy on parkland funding mixed in with Braves stadium funding, the solution is clear for the Board of Commissioners: Fully fund the $40 million Park Bond as voters approved before moving that money into the Braves stadium financing.

Commissioner Lee's communication director Kellie Brownlow noted in her recent comments on the Field of Schemes article "Cobb County spent all its money on Braves stadium, doesn't have enough left for public parks" that the overall property tax rate in Cobb County has been lowered by .5 millage points. Many Cobb Parks Coalition members note that even just a portion of that tax decrease could easily pay for the entire 2008 Park Bond and solve the funding problem.

Here are key facts on Park Bond 2008:

On the Cobb County Braves FAQ page, it clearly states the Braves stadium financing is using the property tax rates of the issued Park Bonds from 1996, 2007 and 2008. As we know, Park Bond 2008 has not been issued. According to Cobb’s own documents, the Park Bond tax rates are planned to “be shifted” and “those monies will then be used to pay for bonds to finance SunTrust Park construction.” (http://cobbcounty.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2713&Itemid=698)
Not 1 acre of parkland has been purchased in nearly a decade. Why has $40 million Park Bond 2008 has not been spent?

Why Park Bond 2008 funding is so critical now:

Over half of the 29 properties selected for purchase with the Park Bond 2008 funds by the Cobb County Citizen Advisory Committee have already been bulldozed by developers. Many other properties chosen as parkland are under threat of development now, such as the 46-acre Bells Ferry property in North Cobb, the 23-acre Furr property in South Cobb, and the 54-acre Tritt property in East Cobb, among other ideal properties.
The MDJ published a wonderful editorial in January 2016 about Cobb's need for more greenspace, and Cobb's stated goal in the 2030 Plan is to save at least 10.5% of county land as greenspace. Currently Cobb has less than 7% saved, and the county would need to purchase more than 8,000 acres to achieve this 10.5% greenspace goal. To put that in perspective, Park Bond 2006 saved nearly 400 acres and Park Bond 2008 could save about 350 acres. Due to the increasing cost of land, the sooner Park Bond 2008 is spent, the more acres of parkland we can save.
For these reasons, Cobb Parks Coalition members and many other park supporters have spoken at every Board of Commissioner meeting since November 2015 asking the Board to fully fund the 2008 Park Bond before moving that money into the Braves stadium financing. During the past year, over 1,000 emails have been sent about funding Park Bond 2008 to the Commissioners.

To summarize, Park Bond 2008 is a voter-approved referendum, overwhelmingly passed with 67% of the electorate (more than 190,000 Cobb citizens voted for it). The Board of Commissioners is obligated to fund the $40 million Park Bond 2008, as it is a referendum and funding is clearly available. We know funding is available because the Debt Service Fund property taxes earmarked for Park Bond repayment are being transferred into the Braves stadium funding.

We look forward to the Board of Commissioners fully funding the $40 million Park Bond 2008 as voters approved before reallocating those funds into any other project.

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Facts on Park Bond 2008 Funding

6/8/2016

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Bridge on AL Burress Nature Park

View Our May 2016 Newsletter with Videos of CPC speakers at Board of Commissioner meetings

Park Bond and Braves:

The Park Bond funding issue didn’t start with the Braves. For years, Cobb citizens were told the $40 million Park Bond referendum voters approved in 2008 could not be funded due to the economy.
Over the last 5 years, the 2008 Park Bond properties chosen for purchase by the county as ideal parkland were either under major threat of development or actually lost to developers’ bulldozers.
In 2014, citizens noticed the exact Park Bond 2008 funds were being reallocated to another project, specifically the $400 million Braves stadium project, before saving any properties as parkland as intended with the 2008 Park Bond referendum.
On the Cobb County Braves FAQ page, it clearly states the Braves stadium financing is using the property tax rates of the issued Park Bonds from 1996, 2007 and 2008. As we know, Park Bond 2008 has not been issued. According to Cobb’s own documents, the Debt Service property tax rates that fund the Park Bonds are planned to “be shifted”, and “those monies will then be used to pay for bonds to finance SunTrust Park construction.”

Solution:

The Board can easily fix this twice-promised money situation. The $40 million Park Bond 2008 can be repaid in under 5 years with the current Debt Service rates, before funding the Braves stadium or any other bond. The Debt Service Fund has always been earmarked for Park Bond and similar bond repayment.

Critical Juncture:
The 2008 Park Bond funding is now at a critical juncture for 3 reasons.

First: Referendums are the highest form of democracy. Park Bond 2008 is a voter-approved referendum overwhelmingly passed with 67% of the electorate (more than 190,000 Cobb citizens voted for it). The Board of Commissioners is obligated to fund the $40 million Park Bond Referendum, especially as funding is clearly available. We know funding is available because the Debt Service Fund property taxes slated for Park Bond repayment are being transferred into a $400 million project for 30 years. This is why the Cobb Parks Coalition supporters have been speaking at every Board of Commissioners since November 2015, requesting the Board fully fund the Park Bond.
Second: Park Bond 2008 is so important now is many of the 29 properties selected by the Cobb County Citizen Advisory Committee in 2009 have already been developed or are under threat of development. Those committee members from each district in Cobb volunteered to diligently pinpoint, visit, and select the best properties for parkland. Unfortunately the Park Bond wasn't funded at all, so many communities lost their selected property to developers.

One would think Cobb Planning would exclude the Park Bond properties from rezoning consideration until the Park Bond has been funded. But that hasn’t happened. From a search on Google maps it appears at least half the 29 Park Bond properties have already been developed.
Third: Cost to taxpayers: Citizens get less parkland for their money as cost of land in Cobb increases. The same $40 million Park Bond in 2008 will net fewer acres of parkland today. The sooner the land is purchased, the better the savings will be for all of us. How much does the Park Bond cost a an average property owner? About $26/year per average on a $200,000 home, which is a great return on investment to have greenspace.

Cobb's own greenspace initiative:

Cobb County has 220,824 total acres, so 10% of county land saved as greenspace would be 22,082 acres.

According to the 2030 Plan adopted in 2006, Cobb had 13,756 acres of greenspace, and that's below the national standard & below Cobb's goal.

According to the Parks Department 2016 document, Cobb has 16,452 acres of greenspace (using a different set of criteria than the 2030 Plan), which is low on the national standard & below Cobb's goal.

Cobb's stated goal in the 2030 Plan is to save at least 10.5% of county land as greenspace, so if Cobb has 16,452 acres of greenspace (according to the 23 January 2016 BoC meeting), then Cobb would need to purchase more than 5,000 acres to achieve their greenspace goal. If the 2030 Plan numbers were used, Cobb would need to purchase more than 8,000 acres to achieve their greenspace goal. Either way, many acres in Cobb need to be preserved.

According to the Georgia Greenspace Program approved in 2000, Georgia's goal is for each county to save 20% of its land as greenspace, which is more than 44,000 acres in Cobb, so Cobb would need to purchase about 27,000 more acres.
To give some perspective, Park Bond 2008 would save about 350 acres, & Park Bond 2006 saved almost 400 acres.
Voters approved Park Bond 2008 by referendum in a landslide 67% victory in 2008, and a selection committee chose 29 properties for purchase.

Saving what is left:
Several of the remaining beautiful properties from the Park Bond list are under serious threat of development:

In Commissioner Birrell’s District 3, the 47-acre Bells Ferry property
in Commissioner Cupid’s District 4, the 23-acre Furr property
In Commissioner Ott’s District 2, the 54-acre Tritt property
In Commissioner Weatherford’s District 1, properties around Lake Allatoona to protect Cobb's water source.

Saving parkland will be a positive legacy for the Commissioners, and it appears the Board members can agree on this issue.

The Board should take swift action to honor the county’s word it would endeavor to save those properties and other properties as parks. The landowners, neighbors and surrounding communities have been patiently waiting for 7 years.

Furr Lake on 23-acre Furr Property slated for purchase with Park Bond 2008 funds

Investing in parks, trails & greenspace actually helps the county in 6 key areas: water, roads, education, health, public safety and government spending.

Water: By creating more community parks, trails & greenspace, environmental resources are saved directly, such as the water table. Also, with less flooding from runoff due to less impervious surface, the Stormwater Department has easier tasks.
Roads: By creating more community parks, trails & greenspace, people drive less to get to recreation areas, and so there is less traffic and the roads are impacted less.
Improved Education & Health: Children are more active with places to play and run. Schools near parks are linked with better academic performance. Outdoor play improves brain capacity.

Public Safety: By creating more community parks, trails & greenspace, neighborhoods are more connected locally around parks, thus leading to safer areas, with less calls for direct public safety action.
More $: Counties that protect their natural resources are the places people enjoy and want to visit. With greenspace, parks, trails & other recreational areas, there is a direct benefit to tourism, SPLOST dollars, and of course home values, all of which add dollars to the county digest.

Saving land as parks with the $40 million Park Bond 2008 as voters intended will be a win-win for everyone.

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Park Bonds mixed up in Braves deal and why funding is critical now

AROUND TOWN: Pruning puzzlement over parks bonds

In response to MDJ Genie in a Bottle Editorial

Facts on Park Bond 2008 Funding

Cobb Parks Coalition Blog

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