“I think we are trying to do too much and this will jeopardize the voters’ appetite for other critical priorities such as transportation or Medic One services,” said Dunn. “I support the renewal levy. We ought to get back onto firm financial ground, but the expansion is too much right now. I don’t want to put other services at risk.”
“I fully support the five-cent replacement park levy which would continue operations at our local parks and protect the current level of park maintenance. County parks are an integral part of our communities, showcasing our areas natural beauty, and providing opportunities for us all to relax and keep physically fit,” said Lambert. “However, at this time I do not support the other five-cent expansion levy. This is not the proper time to expand county land acquisition. We need to rely on our other non-profit partners who acquire open spaces while we focus on local, core government functions requiring our attention.”
The Council voted to put two parks-related levies on the August ballot for 2008. A Parks Renewal Levy would return the King County Parks Budget back to pre-2002 levels, which are levels prior to the budget cutbacks. The other levy, a parks expansion levy, would greatly increase the amount of land acquisition by King County Parks, expanding trails, ballfields and open space.
The Parks Renewal Levy would increase the current levy rate from 4.44 cents to 5.0 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, going towards restoration of maintenance levels to the pre-2002 levels.
The 5 cent Parks Renewal Levy identifies a number of projects.
• For passive parks: restore installation, repair & maintenance of Back Country Trails; increase removal of noxious weeds, restore plantings and follow-up care; increase brush mowing; increase clean-up of illegal dumping sites; increase volunteer outreach.
• For trails: improve sight lines with additional trimming and mowing; control vegetation adjacent to bridges and trestles; improve maintenance of ditches, culverts, catch basins; increase maintenance of paved shoulders and unpaved trails; enhance routine maintenance.
• For active parks: establish special events team to improve maintenance crew productivity; improve signage; increase restroom cleaning; increase ballfield maintenance; provide gate closures at night; enhance mowing, edging, landscaping; enhance landscaping at park entries; increase painting and graffiti removal.
“This is an appropriate level of service. We ought to be slightly increasing our investments to make sure our parks are maintained in good working order,” said Dunn. “But a recent poll indicated that over 60 percent of King County voters identified transportation or traffic-related issues as their number one priority. That priority should come first this year, followed by firm commitments to Medic One Emergency Medical Services.”
The Parks Expansion Levy would add a new .05 property tax, raising the property tax burden on an average family by $20 each year. That cost, based on an average home’s assessed value of $400,000, would generate $108.5 million.
The expansion levy would allocate $.03 for acquisition of open space and natural lands. It identifies regional watersheds, streams, and acquisition and development of regional trails identified within the County’s regional trails plan. Another $.01 would be allocated to cities for projects applied through the Conservation Futures Tax (CFT) Citizen Oversight Committee. The final $.01 would go to the Woodland Park Zoo.
“We need to make sure our investments are spread out more evenly over time to give taxpayers some breathing room,” said Dunn. “Too much. Too narrow. I would have preferred this tax increase to come at a later date.”
Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system. Type in "2007-0225"
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Seattle, WA 98104-3272