Editorial from May 23, 2007

"Taking ownership of our parks"

By Danielle Seckler

   The Big Bear Recreation and Park District is part of the Special Districts of San Bernardino. Many years ago, our valley joined with other smaller park systems across the mountain top as a Special District to run our parks. By combining property tax bases, this allowed many of the rural areas to reduce costs by sharing costs.

   Our valley has changed and grown, even though our fulltime population has not increase as significantly over the last ten years. Ten years ago, one could buy a home for $75,000. Today, looking at the real estate values in this valley have outgrown our population and it is hard to find a home under $200,000. All of this means that our tax base has grown.

   Eying the property tax money that comes back to a park system from the State to the County, many people believe that the current park advisory commission has no authority or accountability to the taxpayers. Currently, the park commission members are appointed by the 3rd District Supervisor Dennis Hansberger. Recently, to fill a park commissioner from Sugarloaf, Hansberger appointed Jennifer Mc Cullar, who lives in Big Bear City. Jeff Rigney told the president of Sugarloaf Property Owners Association that Mc Cullar “lives in the area of Sugarloaf” and that is why she was appointed. This does not sit well with property owners in Sugarloaf, though everyone agrees from Sugarloaf that Mc Cullar is not the problem. The problem lies with Supervisor Hansberger and his opposition to what the County calls the ‘CAVE people’; those people who have voiced their concerns about the Sugarloaf Park and the proposed pool project. It is seen by the Sugarloaf taxpayers that Supervisor Hansberger is packing the park advisory commission with his ‘yes’ people and ignoring the taxpayers.

   At the CSD board meeting held on Monday, May 21st, the cat was let out of the bag. People across this valley are looking into getting rid of the current park district run by the County.  Through private investigation, it has been determined that with a petition signed by 25% of the registered voters, the issue could be placed on the November 2008 ballot. The concept being floated around the valley would be to set up a park district with elected board members from each area, much like the Municipal Water District (MWD). With the stroke of a pen, the current park land would be transferred to this newly formed park district and the taxes would come directly to Big Bear Valley.

   On paper, this makes a lot of sense and this should allow more tax dollars to stay local. Yet, there is always more to see once the details come to light. What if the pool project is passed? What about the moving of the zoo, which is part of the current park district? What if all the current land purchases go through, bought with Prop 12 and 40 grant money? Where will the upgrades for the Tennis Ranch come from? Where will the maintenance and operations money come from? In other words, what will the current park system look like before the ballot initiative comes to the voters in November 2008?

   Whatever the answers are to these questions, the taxpayers will have to pay. It won’t matter if your tax dollars go to the County or a local agency. However that make-up of the park system will be, some how it must be accountable to the taxpayers. Everyone knows that the valley is an orphaned child to Supervisor Hansberger. The valley doesn’t have enough voters to make a difference and time and time again Supervisor Hansberger had refused to meet with his constituents outside of Big Bear Lake. Recently, Supervisor Hansberger has stated on TV6 that he’s gone to public meetings, yet no one knows where they were held. It is known that he has come to Chamber mixers, but that is not the public.

   There will be most certainly many bumps in the road ahead in becoming a local run park district. There will be problems and compromise will have to happen. But, lets face it folks, we can find our representatives and speak to them one-on-one. They will be taxed as the rest of us are and they will have to face us in our local stores. How many more times must we creep up to the table and say to Supervisor Hansberger "Please sir, more porridge."

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