HOWLAND — The Trumbull County MetroParks board has approved placing a 0.6-mill, 10-year levy on the November general election ballot to pay for the day-to-day operation of park properties and the bike trail.

The board had a special meeting Thursday to give the final needed reading to place the issue on the ballot. This is the second attempt at passing the levy after a first effort in November 2020 failed.

Metroparks Executive Director Zachary Svette said the levy would generate $2.2 million annually and be voted on by residents throughout Trumbull County. He said the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $21 per year.

Svette said the money raised from the levy will be used for park and recreational purposes, including operating, maintaining and improving parks, water trails, bike trails and land trails; development of exisiting park lands; purchasing equipment to maintain the parks; constructing trails and conserving natural areas for wildlife habitat and water quality protection; and purchasing property to enhance the park district.

He said current funds are not sufficient for carrying out basic tasks such as park mowing and maintenance. Park board members said the bike trail needs of various repairs at a cost of more than $3 million.

The metroparks now receives funding from the county commissioners, but board member Steve Maas said that money is not enough to take care of the six parks and other metroparks properties.

Svette said the county provided $120,000 for the metroparks this year for 2,200 acres of property and 16.8 miles of bike trails.

Maas said in prior years, the metroparks received $95,000, but an increase was requested this year to cover the cost of increased pay for maintenance workers.

The metroparks include the Western Reserve Greenway Bike Trail and Thomas Swift, Clarence Darrow, Canoe City, North Road, Foster and Eastlake parks, Mahoning River Water Trail and hunting areas.

In other business, the board accepted a donation of 18 new disc golf baskets from the Disc Golf Association Replay Program. Svette said the metroparks are donating the older disc golf baskets to the Warren City School District, which is setting up a disc golf course on school property.

The board also this month approved deer hunting on the Trock property in Brookfield. Svette said hunting will be done by a lottery method because so many people have requested hunting at the location.

“People can get their permits for deer hunting at that location through Sept. 2. We have had a quite a bit of interest for hunting at that property. The lottery will be a way to give everyone a chance to hunt there, he said.

Deer season is September to February.