(BEAVER DAM) Beaver Dam may take the city’s parks operations off the tax levy and eventually fund them with private donations. City Administrator Larry Bierke made the proposal at the Common Council’s Administrative Committee’s Monday meeting.
“What I’m proposing is that we make an effort to eventually shrink the amount of services relying on the city’s tax levy.”
Bierke said he expects to ask the city for seed money to help create an endowment. In the long run, the endowment would earn interest, and the parks department would be underwritten by that interest. Bierke estimated that will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years.
“It’s my belief that people are more likely to donate money to services like parks, versus the clerk’s office, or running finance.”
Details still need to be worked out, but Bierke said he is speaking with the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation to manage the fund. Individuals would be able to make tax-deductible contributions.
