Introduction:
During the mid-1960’s, the State of Connecticut relinquished it’s authority in collecting the conveyance tax on the sale of homes. The State empowered local legislative bodies to appropriate said funds where necessary in their communities.
Radical Proposal:
Former Town Attorney Aaron Silverberg, long time Parks and Recreation Chairman Pat Demuria, along with Town Clerk Hazel Gununsky, proposed a very radical use of this new found income – a fund for recreational projects.
What is This Tax:
When a home is sold, there is a tax of $1.10 on every $1,000.
Ordinances 13 & 14:
With the assistance of the Board of Selectmen, said ordinances were approved at a Town Meeting in the 1960’s.
What has been Accomplished with Said Funds:
Construction of:
- One soccer field - Entrance road - Restrooms
- Two basketball courts - Two handball courts - 1 ½ mile trails
- Volleyball court - Play set with swings
- Well and sprinkler system for soccer field
- New playground and swings
- Two storage sheds
- Sod for soccer field
- Batting cage
- Update plumbing and electrical services to restrooms and pavilion
- Handicap accessibility
- Scoreboard for soccer
- Heavy duty picnic tables
- Cooking grills
$200,000 for construction of the building
- Office equipment, copiers, desks, and computers
- Storage shelves in basement
- $10,000 was allocated to the new football lights
- $21,000 was allocated to new fencing for softball and baseball fields
- over $5,000 for special infield mix
- Construction of current concession/restroom building
- Facility landscaped and fenced in
- Entire electrical system brought up to Code
- New bulbs and wiring for football poles
- Football field sodded twice
- New sprinkler system
- Backstops and safety fencing
- Two sets of football goals
- Handicap accessibility with new steps
- Entire facility fenced in
This facility is leased from Pfizer’s, Inc.
- Bleachers, backstop, safety and field fencing
- Two playgrounds and swing sets
- Soccer goals
Glacier Park
Purchase of the property
- Lights for soccer/softball
- Upgrades to electrical system with new poles
- Backstop, field fencing and safety fencing
And Ledyard Middle Schools
- Walking path at Ledyard Middle School
- Storage boxes
- $8,400 play set at Ledyard Center School
- Lights (6 poles) on middle school fields
- Playground, swings and picnic tables
- New fencing/trees in the Spring of 2005
- Fencing for tennis courts
- Upgrade electrical
- Backstop, safety fencing and field fencing
- New playground and swings
- New pavement and basketball hoops for court
- Storage boxes
- Construction of field
- Backstop and field fencing
- Play area with swings
-
Highlands Lake (Shewville Road)
- Fencing and handicap accessibility
- Playground and volleyball court
Coming in 2005 – Phase I
- Construction of beach and clean up of area
- Three water aerators for lake
- Five sets of lacrosse goals
- Computers, servers, laptop and specialized program
- All type of safety field fencing (blue-green mesh type)
- Batting cages
- 35+ picnic tables
- All backstops/field fencing in Town
- One rowboat
- Four sailboats
If there were no funds, the only playable field would be the high school and middle school fields, the only park in Town would be the Historic Sawmill Park and you would not be reading this report on this web site.
Tax Increased to $2.50:
Recently the conveyance tax increased to $2.50 per $1,000. The difference is used for a Capital Fund for the Public Works Department.
Note: Many of the facilities and programs you enjoy are the result of years of hard work from the “Guiding Light” and “Patriarch” of the Department, Mr. Pat Demuria, along with Mr. Bob Cotter, Mrs. Marie Holman, Naomi Otterness, Bob Sandlin, Emile Girard, John Purdy, Sandra Deeds, Wayne Chipperini (a local engineer) and, of course, hundreds and hundreds of Ledyard’s finest, YOU.
Donald A. Grise
Director of Parks and Recreation