PORT ORANGE, Florida. – It’s not often that people vote for higher taxes, but Port Orange voted to do just that this week.
The city will now borrow up to $30 million and pay the money back over time to expand its parks and build a new recreation center.
Mayor Don Burnette told News 6 that the city has one of the highest participation rates in youth and adult sports leagues in the county.
“We’re having trouble hosting multiple events because it’s just not big enough to accommodate everyone,” he said. “We actually have 5,000 sports fields, which is twice as many as the next closest city in Volusia County.”
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Burnette said the bond referendum passed Tuesday night would expand four parks.
Coraci, Depot, Willow Run and White Place parks will have new fields, trails, retention ponds and facilities – each park will receive different improvements as needed.
“Our growth has happened, but it’s happened over the last 10, 15, 20 years. There are a whole lot of new neighborhoods that are being served remotely. We want to do better,” Burnette said.
The mayor said that growth is particularly evident on the west side of the city, which is why, in addition to expanding the parks, a second recreation center will also be built there.
“It’s a 30-year bond, so there are things that will expand over time,” Burnette said. “They’re on the books, they’ve been audited, our Parks and Recreation Board has been working on it for a long time.”
Property owners pay the bonds with their annual tax bill.
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