By Gwen Davis

Proposition 1 would raise an estimated $1.6 million in revenue for the restoration of historic Des Moines city parks, and for repairing and maintenance of city streets. This would be done by increasing the Utility Occupation Tax from 6 percent to 9 percent. The city estimates this additional 3 percent utility tax would cost a typical family $15 per month.

This November, Des Moines voters will vote Yes or No to Prop. 1.

How should you vote? Take a look at what both sides of Prop. 1 are saying:

Vote Yes on Prop. 1
Al Isaac, head of the YES on Des Moines Proposition 1 Committee:
“The City of Des Moines has seen dramatic drops in revenues to pay for operating expenses, and to maintain our infrastructure. Our national and state historic Des Moines Beach Park buildings are badly deteriorated without the funds necessary to restore them. Our 100 centerline miles of streets, many badly in need of paving long before now, have had no funds available to set aside to pave for nearly three years. In short, if we do not find the resources to invest in these important public resources, we will either lose them or it will cost significantly more in the future to make the investment to save them.

Our Beach Park and street surfaces need additional support now. Current economic conditions have driven down dramatically traditional funding streams for capital improvements and routine maintenance and operations. Over the past three years Des Moines Real Estate Excise Tax revenues are down 70 percent from a norm of $1.6 million a year to an estimated $400,000 in 2011. Property tax revenues likewise are down nearly 20 percent from $3.2 million to $2.6 million. These losses plus the disappearing federal and state historical renovation funds put the renovation and operation of the birthplace of Des Moines, the beach park, at risk of further deterioration and eventual demise…

Tax revenue losses take a direct hit on street maintenance, as well. Des Moines has 100 centerline miles of streets to maintain. In the last ten years, the city’s overall Pavement Condition Index, a rating scale from 1 to 100, has slipped from 75 (lower end of Good) to 67, Fair. Of 100 center line street miles today, 15 percent is rated Very Poor, 25 percent Poor, 25 percent Fair, and 35 percent Good. Streets should be re-paved at the rate of 5 miles a year. In the last two years pavement rehabilitation was unfunded and it remains so now for the next 6 years. Repair costs will skyrocket if we don’t do something to generate other funds now.

That's why I am chairing the "Yes on Des Moines Prop 1" Committee to raise our utility tax 3 percent. This tax provides additional funds to complete and maintain the delayed beach park renovation and generate funds to recover our badly deferred street re-paving program.”

Vote No on Prop. 1
Mysty Beal, spokesperson for the Defeat Prop. 1 campaign:
“The city is asking us to pay to rehabilitate a bunch of condemned buildings in the hope of some vague return on the investment. Why now, while we're in the midst of the worst economic downturn in three generations? Why now, when the Legislature must carve another $2 billion from the budget? Why now, after the city completely neglected these buildings during the good times while they could have maintained them at minimal cost? This is not 2004 where if the proposition failed, we'd lose police or essential services - should this fail, we lose nothing.

This tax will hurt everyone - property owners, renters, retirees, and our local businesses. It is asking for an additional $275 to $300 a year from most families, on top of the 6 percent tax they already pay on electricity, phone and cable, and solid waste removal. Knowing this dog wouldn't hunt, the city paired it with street paving, a service we were already paying for, as a means to win our vote. The city has spent millions creating sidewalks that no one will ever use while overlooking the sides of the roads that thousands of our kids use to walk to school. They renovated 216th, yet were oblivious to 223rd, which serves busses and traffic for 3300 kids at four schools, heavy trucks from the city yard, Metro buses serving two routes, and emergency vehicles from our fire station. The degraded state of this street completely missed the attention of the city - until they needed to pair it with this proposition that they knew would never sail!

Voters should reject this proposition in such numbers that the city will separate the building issue from street paving, as they had to do in 2006 to win funding for our police. This proposition is completely inappropriate during this severe economic downturn and asks too much from struggling families with little in return. Des Moines voters are fair - they will vote for something that they realize as a benefit or necessary service. This proposition delivers neither. Please vote to reject this proposition and make the city re-tool it into one that will benefit those of us paying the freight.”