Fort Mitchell adopted their city park tax at its Monday city council meeting. The city first adopted the rate in 1975 and has not changed it since.
The city council does not have the power to change the rate, but it is required to approve it annually. The current park tax rate is .02 for every $100 of property evaluation.
“It’s more of a procedural formality,” city attorney Olivia Amlung said.
Fort Mitchell currently has three parks within city limits—Iris Road Park, Crescent Park and General Ormsby Mitchell Park. LINK asked Mayor Jude Hehman how the funds raised by the park tax would support them.
“The park board meets once a month and they decide how to spend the money,” Hehman said. “The tax revenue can only be spent in city parks on things like mowing, basketball court repairs, and [equipment] maintenance.”
Funds can also be directed by the park board towards large park projects. Most recently, this included the several-year-long General Ormsby Mitchell Park renovation.
“The city just spent $2 million renovating General Ormsby Mitchell Park and making it handicap-accessible,” Hehman said.
LINK asked Hehman what he would like to see done with park tax revenue in the future.
“It is up to the park board,” Hehman said. “But I would like to see some more pocket parks in the city.”
Pocket parks are small public parks that generally take up less than an acre of land. Local examples include Henry Farny Park and Kenny Shields Park in Covington.
“Families can walk to pocket parks and they serve as community gathering places,” Hehman said.
There are no planned major park projects currently.