Funds from the referendum would go in part towards the build-out of Franklin Park in Shawano
Wednesday night at the Shawano Common Council meeting, the city approved the official non-binding referendum question that will be posed to voters on April 4.
The question voters will decide on reads as, “Should the City of Shawano Common Council borrow up to $1,850,000, a property tax increase of $25 per $100,000 home in general obligation debt in order to fund the construction and installation of Franklin Park, Smalley Park, and a splash pad. Answer yes, or answer no.”
The money used from the referendum would finish the build-out of Franklin and Smalley Park, as well as implement a splash pad. The non-binding referendum awaiting vote is only a way for the council to gauge the interest of the public.
“Non-binding or advisory referendum is exactly that,” Park and Rec Director Matt Hendricks told the Shawano Common Council. “You are looking for advice from the constituents, so what most people may be familiar with is a school district referendum, which is a binding referendum, meaning if it passes, it happens. What would happen in this circumstance in a non-binding or advisory referendum is it’s still up to the common council to take action upon it.”
The council could act the same as the referendum, but could also act different than the outcome of the referendum. The city wants voters to be informed, which is why they will be taking steps to get information out to the public in the months leading up to the April election.
“Our goal in the months of February and March is to be able to provide [information] in numerous avenues to reach as many people as we can so that they can be informed about what will happen if the referendum would pass, or more importantly what’s actually happening in the parks,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks says they hope to have all of their information and marketing fact sheets completed by the start of February.
