 By:
Tomica Miller
When you go to vote, among several things on the ballot is the Penny for Parks / Penny for Preservation amendment to the city charter. This amendment, if passed, would require the city to set aside a penny for each tax dollar collected to go to capital expenditures for parks and greenways and for promoting preservation. Some estimates place the yearly figure from this measure at $250,000, a modest sum to be sure, particularly since the parks and recreation department budget alone is about $15 million a year. Still, the amendment would guarantee funding for parks and preservation, two items Knoxville residents in neighborhoods across the city have expressed a growing support of.
I want to take a moment to urge you to vote for the Penny for Parks and Preservation amendment to the city charter. Old North Knoxville is fortunate to have both historic homes and a wonderful greenway as part of our neighborhood environment. There is also a small park with a basketball court on East Baxter next to fire hall, and the City and Old North Knoxville neighborhood association are working to create a small urban park on Oklahoma on land once overgrown and regularly neglected. This small park has already drawn attention from neighbors who have not been to neighborhood meetings, but have taken an interest in this small park because the neighborhood has taken an interest in an area where they live. This work is turning something neglected into an asset for the entire neighborhood.
This charter amendment, if passed, could be used to help spur the creation of other small parks in other neighborhoods. It could also be used to help preservation, possibly even fund the Demolition by Neglect ordinance recently passed to help preserve neglected buildings in historic neighborhoods.
Passing this amendment will be only one step toward preserving our local heritage. By itself it will mean little. We will still all have to be vigilant in preserving our neighborhood. The amendment will not keep the trash off the streets or prevent lots from being left to become overgrown eyesores. The amendment itself will not save even one building. But passing the amendment says we do care, that we do believe preservation and parks and greenways are important, and that we are willing to put at least a little of our money behind our words.
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