A group of Minot citizens has organized in support of the Park District’s Minot Aquatics & Recreation Center proposal. Here’s the quote from Tawnya Bernsdorf, chairwoman of the Citizens for Minot’s Future group:
“We are excited as a group of Minot residents to be able to support a project that our community has been asking for over the past 10 years. The MARC is a real chance to define who we are as a community, in a positive,forward-thinking way that embraces healthy decisions, attracts families and serves the needs of our broader community.”
In support of the MARC, the group has compiled a substantial F.A.Q. sheet aimed at making sure Minot residents have the information they need to make an informed decision on April 21st. You can view that document here.
Image: Members of the newly organized Citizen’s for Minot’s Future announce support for the Park Districts MARC proposal.
— Official News Release, Citizens for Minot’s Future —
Minot, N.D. – A newly formed group in town, Citizens for Minot’s Future, is placing its support behind a proposed Minot Aquatics and Recreation Center (MARC). Group representatives come from all walks of life and are excited to see a project that will improve the quality of life in Minot, offer amenities that don’t exist elsewhere in town, and provide property tax relief in the Magic City.
“We are excited as a group of Minot residents to be able to support a project that our community
has been asking for over the past 10 years,” said Tawnya Bernsdorf, chairwoman of the Citizens for Minot’s Future group. “The MARC is a real chance to define who we are as a community, in a positive, forward-thinking way that embraces healthy decisions, attracts families and serves the needs of our broader community.”
The Citizens for Minot’s Future group is pleased with the various features of the proposed MARC,as the Park District has laid out a facility that will truly cover everyone from parents with young children to teenagers on athletic teams, and from young adults looking to work-out to seniors who want to stay active and engaged. These features include the following:
- large multi-sport turf area (soccer field/football practice),
- water park/lazy river,
- 50-meter competition pool,
- warm water therapy pool,
- 400-meter walking/jogging track,
- baseball/softball training area,
- seniors lounge,
- golf simulator,
- cardio equipment,
- fitness-class rooms,
- tennis courts,
- basketball courts,
- large indoor accessible playground.
- Along with these features, there is also space set aside for health care partners to rent, a childcare center, event/birthday rooms, and other potential partners.
The vote on April 21 would give the Minot Park District a one-cent citywide sales tax, in place of the current property tax, to support its general operations and pay for the MARC. For someone with a house valued at $200,000 in Minot, this represents a $216.61 annual reduction in your property taxes. And for the average property owner, this will lower your overall tax burden, as a person with a $200,000 house would have to spend more than $21,661 on taxable items in a year to increase their bottom-line tax
“As a group of Minot residents, we support the idea of using a sales tax to pay for this community-wide facility, as this will also provide property tax relief in Minot,” said Bernsdorf. “Having this type of accessible aquatics and recreation center will be great for existing individuals and families, as well as an attractive piece for businesses to use in recruiting new staff to our growing community. We feel that the MARC will add to our sense of community pride.”
The Citizens for Minot’s Future also supports the Park District proposal to have certain features of the MARC available to the public at no cost, including the seniors lounge, indoor accessible playground and the large indoor track.
The Citizens for Minot’s Future urges a yes vote on April 21 to support a higher quality of life in Minot, lower property taxes and provide a wide range of options under one roof in town.
