The City of Newton has collected more Hotel Motel Tax and building permit revenue than was budgeted for in this current fiscal year. Mayor Evelyn George says the city council has decided that just over $190,000 of that extra money should go towards additional parking by the pickleball and tennis courts at Aurora Park, and more security cameras at city facilities. 

“The Park Board has identified this as an important project, and there are some other facilities in the city that we would like to get on the same system. So we did tell city staff to proceed with that.”

Mayor George says the extra parking is projected to cost $75,000, while the additional security cameras and system hook-up has an expected cost of $117,000. The City is also using the additional revenue to purchase almost $17,000 of parade barricades.