Parks millage

The Velo Kids director said county parks are essential infrastructure for her youth biking programs serving thousands of kids.

The Park Township resident praised county parks infrastructure and urged support for the millage increase.

The Holland Township resident described her family's deep connection to county parks and endorsed both the renewal and the 0.2-mill increase.

Spoke again in the hearing in support of both millages, citing the YMCA story and her own move to the area because of parks.

Spoke again in support of the parks renewal and increase, noting the roughly $110/year combined household cost.

The Spring Lake Township manager cited the township's partnership with county parks and urged ballot placement and passage.

The Ferrysburg resident and wife of the parks director shared her family's story of finding belonging through county parks.

The county parks employee, speaking on personal time, compared Ottawa County's system favorably to underfunded systems elsewhere and urged continued investment.

Urged the board to let voters decide on the .53 mills increase, citing 2 million annual visits and 6,000 master-plan participants.

A 50-year parks user asked the board to invest in parks for future generations.

A parks commissioner and engineer defended the statistical rigor of the millage surveys and urged letting voters decide.

Parks Commission president detailed three years of planning and surveys, asking the board to place the .53 mill question on the August ballot.

Hudsonville retiree asked commissioners to scrutinize the parks millage ballot request that would raise the levy 62%, questioning whether $102 million over ten years is needed.