Henderson voters OK $54 million park bond

      Henderson residents continued their history of backing park bonds Tuesday night, voting for a $54 million plan that will add several new parks and recreational facilities to the city.
      The bond passed by a margin of about 57 percent to 43 percent.
      "We're thrilled, we think its a great thing for the citizens of Henderson, it's going to benefit them all," said Dan Shaw, spokesman for Friends of the Parks, a citizens group that promoted the bond. "I think it's a very family oriented community and they're proud of how the parks look and are maintained."
      The fact that the bond was presented as tax neutral also helped the bond's passage, he said.
      Though the city already boasts the highest number of parks per capita in Southern Nevada, bond backers said recent growth in the city has created a need for more.
      "You can't even get a picnic table," said Steve Kirk, also a member of the citizens' group, prior to the election. "This would effectively double the acreage of parks in our area."
      Passage of the bond means existing taxes for homeowners will not go up. If the bond had failed, the owner of a $100,000 home would save $52.50 annually in property taxes.
      Shaw said the returns were consistent with his exit polling, which showed 60 percent of voters were for the bond.
      Henderson's Parks and Recreation Department has adopted a plan that will provide a full-service recreation center for every 25,000 residents. The new facilities are planned for neighborhoods in which there are considerable populations several miles from existing facilities.
      Before the election, Henderson Finance Manager Scott Hanson said that because the city had a history building similar parks and projects, he was "reasonably confident" the costs have been well-estimated.
      Hanson said if park costs go above the current estimates, other revenue sources could make up the difference. Those include the park tax fee that is charged for new residential construction, a special recreation fund, money received from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority or general fund revenues.
      Henderson manages about 242 acres of parks and open space and four recreation centers.
      The last time Henderson passed a park bond was in 1993. In the same election, similar bonds were overwhelmingly rejected by voters in Las Vegas and Clark County. Henderson residents also passed a park bond in 1988.