On May 20 King County voters will be asked to approve a 4.9-cent levy to maintain the county’s regional and rural parks and recreation system.
The Metro King County Council voted March 17 to place a 4-year, 4.9-cent levy on the May 20 ballot. The levy would cost the owner of a $250,000 house $12.25 a year and would raise $48 million over four years that will go toward operating and maintaining about 25,000 acres of parks and about 100 miles of trails.
Not everyone is behind the levy.
Lake Forest Park and Shoreline leaders have been critical of the county levying money inside the cities to go toward parks outside the cities.
“We created and support our own parks system and I’d rather that any money raised for parks go toward our own parks,” said Lake Forest Park Mayor Dave Hutchinson.
Shoreline City Council member Bob Ransom said “We have their pool and all their parks, shouldn’t that money stay here since we are running those parks?”
The measure that will go before voters is lower than the 5-cent six-year levy King County Executive Ron Sims recommended to the Council and the 5.5-cent, six-year levy the Metropolitan Parks Task Force recommended.
“County residents deserve a say in the fate of the 25,000 acres of parks, trails and open space that play such an important role in their communities,” said County Council member Carolyn Edmonds, who shepherded the measure.
“This is an important step because the blueprint we have put together for the parks depends on a strong, stable funding source,” Edmonds said. “This is an opportunity to create the foundation that will ensure that these parks will be available now and into the future.”
The county is facing a $26 million deficit and in 2003 cut the parks budget by $9.1 million or 40 percent. Many local park and pool facilities have been transferred to cities, saving the county more than $4 million.
Levy funds are needed to support parks and trails including Marymoor Park, Cougar Mountain and portions of the Burke Gilman Trail owned by King County, Edmonds said. The money would be used for the maintenance of trails, ball fields, and sports courts; cleaning of bathrooms and litter removal.
The alternative to levy funding is the closure of dozens of parks, according to a press release.
“This is a critical time for King County parks and I commend the King County Council for its support in bringing this important issue to the voters,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “The leadership of Council member Carolyn Edmonds deserves special recognition. Over the past year, she has shepherded legislation supporting parks’ transition to a more entrepreneurial way of doing business. Thanks to her efforts, parks have undergone tremendous innovation in the past six months.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
