EAST LIVERPOOL – While one city council member has been clamoring to have $12,000 spent to pave streets in Thompson Park returned to the street fund, park board members say the paving was owed.

Last fall, former Mayor Jim Swoger approved the $12,000 spent from street levy money to pave several roads in the park after attempts to repair potholes prior to an upcoming event in the park were not sufficient.

When passed by voters, the levy was earmarked for improving “neighborhood” streets, with a portion also set aside for matching grants for major street-related projects.

City Council has been responsible for deciding which neighborhood streets are improved with the levy funding, but Swoger failed to ask for council’s input or approval for the park paving.

Since then, Councilman Ray Perorazio has several times demanded that the $12,000 be returned to the street fund, and his most recent request to the finance committee resulted in Auditor Marilyn Bosco preparing an ordinance for council’s consideration that would return the money from the capital improvement fund.

That issue, however, was not brought up for consideration at this week’s meeting, with Bosco telling council she was still working on the legislation.

At this week’s meeting of the park board, newly-elected President Betsy Wells distributed copies of the original deed from the Thompson family which created the park in 1900 and expanded it in 1932.

In the document, it states the city was to expend no less than $2,000 to resurface the roads in the park within two years of its inception and to appropriate $600 annually thereafter.

Bosco, who also keeps minutes during the park board meetings, was asked by Wells if that money had ever been appropriated.

According to Bosco, to her knowledge, no money has been appropriated during her tenure with the auditor’s office, which dates to 1994.

Board members said that, since $600 was to have been appropriated by the city each year and, to their knowledge, never has been, the city owes the park the paving that was done last year.

They did not indicate any action would be taken to recoup any money owed, Bosco said after the meeting, saying board members are most concerned that the controversy over the $12,000 might create problems in passing a park levy which is on the primary ballot this spring.

Bosco said the park budget for 2015 was $113,196, which includes salaries for two employees, all equipment, materials and operations. There is currently no levy in effect for the park.

The municipal swimming pool located in the park is not funded by the city in the park budget since it is an enterprise fund, expected to generate its own funding.

In other matters at the meeting, the board agreed that the Little Potters football team will be allowed to practice in the park and that Boy Scout Troop No. 41 be allowed to camp overnight in the park with adult supervision.