Carmichael Homeowners Will Vote On Property Tax Increase For Parks

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) — Parks in Carmichael plagued by prostitution, drugs and vandalism may be getting some relief at the expense of taxpayers.

Park rangers could be watching over more than a dozen parks in the area if homeowners are OK with paying $4 more a month in property taxes.

Allison Ouster lives right next to Jan Park in Carmichael and knows the park is in need of security.

"A lot of people walk their dogs there and kids play there," she said. "One day my boyfriend actually came across some kids that had just stolen the copper wiring."

People who live near Carmichael parks have desperately asked the Carmichael Recreation and Parks District for help after witnessing a wide range of crimes at their parks—drug deals, copper theft, graffiti, and even prostitution.

The district's solution is having homeowners vote on whether they would pay $45 a year in property tax to pay for maintenance, park projects and park rangers who would look over the parks 40 hours a week.

The measure would bring in about $666,000 a year for a district that relies heavily on property tax revenue, which has gone down drastically in recent years.

While some say they aren't willing to pay more, because they pay enough in taxes, others say the parks are important enough that $4 a month is worth every penny.

"In order to have better security, I'd be happy to pay that, because security I think is what keeps the neighborhood together," said Ron Hayashi.

Homeowners have until April 17 to turn in their ballots. The district will hold a public meeting that night to talk about the proposal.