District will fully protect parks

Have you strolled, hand in hand with a loved one along the Snohomish Riverfront Trail? Have your children or grandchildren enjoyed an afternoon swinging and sliding on the Pilchuck Park playground? Or have your nieces and nephews fished off the dock at Hill Park? The answer is yes for me, and I know it is yes for most Snohomish city residents.

Our parks and open spaces help make the city of Snohomish the place we want to live and play. And on the August primary ballot we have an opportunity to take the next step to help preserve, protect and fully maintain Snohomish city parks.

By voting yes on the creation of a Metropolitan Park District, the post-recession era of deferred parks maintenance will end. By voting yes, we will never again have to consider closing our parks to help balance the city budget due economic downturns. And by voting yes, as the Snohomish City Council recommends we do (Resolution 1329), not only will we be able to maintain parks to citizen expectations, we will be able to finally upgrade long neglected community assets such as the Hal Moe pool site.

The creation of the MPD is supported by your Fire District No. 4, by the Snohomish School District, and by the Snohomish Senior Center Board. Join with them, your neighbors, friends and supporters of our parks and vote yes on Proposition No. 1, the creation of a city of Snohomish Metropolitan Park District. Safeguard and beautify what we love!

Paul Kaftanski

Snohomish City Council member

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