Amador County –Amador County Recreation Agency Executive Director Tracy Towner-Yepp asked her board of directors Wednesday to consider putting a Special Tax Measure up to vote for permanent funding for the agency. The board voted unanimously to have ACRA’s attorney, Greg Gillett, investigate the legality of having the Joint Powers Authority levy taxes, and also to draft an amendment to ACRA’s agreement. Amador County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ted Novelli said Thursday that he supports ACRA, its staff and its board of directors “but I do not support a special tax.” He said as board chairman, he would do everything in his power to oppose it. Ione Mayor Lee Ard said he would not support anything that would take the control of Ione’s park land out of the hands of Ione. Ard said Ione was also a year to a year-and-a-half away from seeking its own tax measure for park funding. Gillett said in his research of the legality of a JPA levying a tax, he has “never found a JPA that has done it.” But he said the Joint Powers Act says “entities that share a common power can join together and exercise a power together, but it has to be spelled out.” Towner-Yepp said she and Gillett disagreed on JPA language. She thought ACRA’s ability to pursue “financing” allowed taxation. Gillett said he thought it had to be clarified. Consultant John Bliss recommended a direct-mailed special election. He said a full election, handled by his firm and two associate firms, would cost about $100,000 dollars. It would begin with a survey costing $20,000 to $25,000 dollars, which would determine how much money people would be willing to pay to support ACRA. Gillett said levying a tax could be stymied by an ACRA member opposing it, but ACRA could dissolve and reform with agreeing members. Sutter Creek Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth said Amador County has a gigantic population of elderly, unemployed people on a fixed Social Security income, and 21 percent unemployment. Bliss said he understood an uphill battle. Hepworth said a recent sewer rate increase brought a stack of complaint letters, and the rate hike was only $7 dollars. Hepworth said: “I’m a positive person: But I think you would be throwing away $25,000 dollars” (paying for the survey. He said: “I’m afraid that the answer you are going to get is ‘We don’t want to pay a damn dime’.” The board directed Gillett research the tax levying issue, and write a proposed JPA amendment, which Towner-Yepp would take it to members entities for review. Story by Jim Reece