Baseball, soccer, hockey, pickleball, skateboarding, softball, swimming, T-ball, and more… just some of the many recreational activities that are accessible to Sylvania youth and adults thanks to the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District. Better known as SAJRD,  it is one of the community’s longtime organizations.
SAJRD, established in 1988 to provide recreational facilities and programs for the Sylvania area, is a collaboration between the city of Sylvania, Sylvania Township, and Sylvania Schools. Its mission is to provide high-quality recreation and leisure facilities, parks, programs, and activities for the district’s citizens.
Today, SAJRD has grown in scope managing and maintaining more than 230 acres of parkland within the community. The facilities within the district include Pacesetter Park, a 138-acre multi-use sports complex with eight fully lighted baseball and softball diamonds, soccer and lacrosse fields, a playground, skate plaza, a walking/jogging path, concession stand and restrooms.
 • Centennial Terrace & Quarry is an outdoor concert and event venue hosting national acts, regional bands, and many local events accommodating up to 3,500 guests.
• Veterans Memorial Field is a 19-acre facility with four baseball/softball fields, a concession stand, restrooms, an open turf space, and six pickleball courts.
• Tam-O-Shanter is one of only two indoor ice rinks in northwest Ohio and offers hockey and ice skating for children and adults.
• Burnham Park is a 3.2-acre park just west of downtown Sylvania with playgrounds, shelters for picnicking, a gazebo, and sitting areas along with Plummer Pool, open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
SAJRD is publicly supported, funded by tax-payers who previously approved its initial .85 mill levy in 1988 and last adjusted it in 2000. A second operating levy, .40 mills, was approved in 2012 and has not been adjusted since.
Now SAJRD is asking the Sylvania community for its support of a replacement 1.25 mill levy on the  Nov. 5 ballot, combining the .85 mill and the .40 mill levies into a single permanent levy. SAJRD Board President and Levy Campaign Chairman Brian Kezur points out that this is NOT a new tax. He said that SAJRD is currently collecting 1.25 mills of operating funds and that will not change. 
“It is pretty amazing that the Recreation District has operated as effectively as it has for so long without asking the community for additional operating funds. In 2000 when the larger of the two levies was approved, the minimum wage in Ohio was $4.25, today minimum wage is $10.45. Not only has the minimum wage seen an increase in the last 24 years since this levy passed, but the cost of materials, supplies, and equipment has also gone up significantly,” Kezur and Mike McMahon, Sylvania RecreationExecutive Director, noted. 
McMahon explained that the additional funds will help maintain and improve the existing facilities and build upon the outstanding programs and services for which SAJRD is known. When asked what specific improvements would be addressed, McMahon said that “walking paths and trails within the district are in need of repair, and other popular attractions like the playground at Pacesetter Park will receive much-needed upgrades.”
Kezur indicated that for each $100,000 of appraised home value, the homeowner would see a $16 annual increase. Therefore, a Sylvania homeowner with a home appraised at $300,000 would see a monthly increase of $4 for this replacement levy. He said that there is a “Levy Estimator” tool on the Lucas County Auditor’s website, where homeowners can search for their homes to see exactly what the increase will be. For additional information, visit sylvaniaforissue20.com or search Issue 20 for Sylvania on Facebook.
Paid for by the Committee for Sylvania Recreation