Clean Ohio Grant Details

I have learned more details about the Clean Ohio grant that will help pay for the purchase of the Gallo Property on Music Street by the Russell Township Citizens Park District.

The grant has been approved by the the local review committee for our district. Applications for grants are ranked locally. The application for the Gallo Property was ranked 3rd out of 8 applications, which is an excellent score. This shows that the experts who look at proposed projects feel that this project is worth supporting with public money. The grant would fund approximately 3/4 of the cost of the project.

The final approval of the grant must come from the Ohio Public Works Commission. It is the understanding of the Citizens Park District commissioners that the grant will be approved ONLY if we pass the levy.

So, if the levy passes, we will have a beautiful 64-acre park preserved and under local control forever, and 3/4 of the cost of the project will be paid for by a grant from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund. If the levy fails, we lose the grant and we lose this 64 acre property to development.

Vote YES on Issue 3!

Great news!

I just learned that the Russell Citizens' Park District has been approved to receive a Clean Water grant from the State of Ohio for the purchase of the Gallo Property on Music Street. This grant will pay 3/4 of the cost of purchasing the property.

What a bargain this park will be for us! Let's pass the levy, folks, to pay for the rest!

Parks, development and property taxes

I’m often asked if it wouldn’t be better for us financially to add more taxable property to the tax rolls by developing property rather than protecting undeveloped land as parks. It would not.

Studies have shown that the additional public expenses created by development (police, fire, roads, etc.) are actually more than the taxes collected on the developed property. The figure I've seen for Geauga County, is that it costs us $1.37 to provide services for developed property for every $1.00 of tax collected.

So development increases our tax burden. Add to that the fact that being near a park increases property values for all of us, and we're each better off economically here in Russell Township having more parks.

The Gallo Property Opportunity

The Gallo Property is a 64-acre, undeveloped property on Music Street, east of 306, that backs up to The West Woods. The Russell Township Citizens Park District is currently in contract to buy the Gallo Property for $729,000. The Citizens Park District has applied for an Ohio Clean Water Grant that would cover 74% of the purchase price ($529,000). If we receive this grant, the Gallo Property will cost Russell Taxpayers $200,000. How can we pass up a bargain like this?

And what will happen to the Gallo Property if the levy fails and we are unable to purchase it? Most likely, it will be bought by a developer who will divide it into smaller lots and build on it. That would be a sad outcome for our rural oasis, both financially and environmentally. More on that in my next post.

Local Control

I'm often asked what guarantee we have that park land purchased by the Citizens Park District will not be leased to the Geauga Park District or any other entity and lost from local control. All park land owned by the Russell Township Citizens Park District, whether purchased or donated, will ALWAYS remain in LOCAL CONTROL.

Park land owned by the Citizens Park District will always remain in local control because the Citizens Park District itself is in local control. Its commissioners are appointed by the Russell Township Trustees, who answer to us, the voters of Russell Township. So the future of any park land purchased by the Citizens Park District will be completely under the control of the citizens of Russell Township. Nobody outside of Russell Township will ever have any authority over our decision-making process.

Cost of the 1 mill park levy

Historically, Russell citizens have valued our green space by supporting township parks with a 1 mill levy. The levy on the ballot on March 17 essentially replaces the former levy, which expired 2 years ago. The current levy will cost $35 annually for each $100,000 in assessed value of our homes.

Ron Hill cartoon from Chagrin Valley Times

Vote Yes on Issue 3

Hi, Russell Township humans. Vote Yes for Issue 3, a 1 mill levy for the Russell Township Citizens’ Park District (511) because smart dogs know that:

●    This levy essentially REPLACES the expired former levy.

●    The Citizens’ Park District is currently in contract to purchase the “Gallo Property,” 64 undeveloped acres of land on Music Street that back up to The West Woods. They have applied for a Clean Water grant that will pay for most of the purchase price. With this levy we can complete the acquisition of this gorgeous property.

●    This is a cost-effective way to KEEP RUSSELL GREEN!

●    Park lands purchase by the Citizens’ Park District will remain UNDER LOCAL CONTROL FOREVER. The Citizens’ Park District answers ONLY to the Russell Township Trustees and the residents of Russell Township.