Nov. 28, 2006
Task force to explore King County Parks funding challenges, make recommendations
With its four-year parks levy expiring in 2007, King County has assembled a 21-member citizens task force that will explore options for funding and securing the future of an evolving and budget-challenged parks system.
The Parks Futures Task Force is comprised of key King County business and community leaders and will be co-chaired by Eastside businessman Ron Sher and Cascade Land Conservancy president Gene Duvernoy. The group (see full list below) will convene its first meeting this Wednesday and will meet regularly in the coming months. The task force is expected to offer funding recommendations to King County Executive Ron Sims and the County Council early next year.
"I am delighted by the composition of this task force and appreciate that they have volunteered their time to this critical issue," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "With Ron, Gene and this group of key business and community leaders from across King County, I am confident that this task force will play an important role in determining next steps for the parks and open space in King County."
Voters approved a modest 4.9-cent, four-year operating levy in 2003 to keep parks open. That levy, which funds more than 57 percent of the parks' operating budget, expires at the end of 2007.
King County owns and manages more than 25,000 acres of parks and open space and 175 miles of trails — one of the largest systems in the country – but it experienced a major funding crisis in 2002. With its parks and facilities threatened with closure, the Parks Division embraced extraordinary change and innovation and now partially pays its own way (about 22 percent of the division budget) through partnerships, increased user fees and entrepreneurial ventures.
But the budget crisis has also led to significant maintenance reductions, transfers of some parks and facilities to other jurisdictions, and a shift in focus to regional parks, open space and the regional trail system.
Among the challenges faced by the task force is that annexations of urban areas will mean the loss of over half the parks system's major maintenance and capital funding in the next five to six years. And it is unlikely the Parks Division will get help from the county's general fund, where budget shortfalls are anticipated in each of the next several years.
Other pressures on county parks will come in the form of population growth: over 280,000 more people are expected to move to King County by the year 2025.
Duvernoy also co-chaired the 16-member Metropolitan Parks Task Force in 2001 that helped draft recommendations and inspired the new Parks Division Business Plan. The plan has since won national awards for innovation, and yet the challenge of finding a long-term funding source to stabilize King County's nationally-acclaimed parks system remains.
"Our Parks staff have demonstrated to our citizens how we are committed to an efficient and innovative park system and new accountability to our community partners," Sims said. "I feel we are on the right track in bringing creativity, energy and devotion to keeping our budget-challenged parks not only clean, safe and open, but thriving. I am looking forward to the ideas of the task force on how we can work together to make that happen."
Earlier this year, the nine-member King County Parks Citizen Oversight Board concluded that King County Parks was using levy funds appropriately.
In a report sent to Sims and County Council Chair Larry Phillips, the board noted that despite the Parks Division's notable successes in securing entrepreneurial revenue that supports more than 20 percent of its budget, it is apparent that the division can't become self-sustaining within the next several years.
"Replacement funding of some sort for the parks levy will be required if the parks system is to remain open for the public's use and enjoyment," the report states. "We strongly encourage the county leadership to take steps to ensure that proper funding for the parks system and the division does not lapse when the parks levy expires at the end of 2007."
See the board's complete report (287K PDF file).
King County Parks Futures Task Force 2006-2007
Gene Duvernoy, Co-Chair
Cascade Land Conservancy
Seattle
Ron Sher, Co-chair
Metrovation
Bellevue
David Baldwin
Windermere Real Estate/Capitol Hill, Inc.
Seattle
David Dicks
Puget Sound Recovery
Seattle
Dustin Frederick
SEIU Local 519
Seattle
Alan Merkle
c/o Stoel Rives LLP
Seattle
Steve Ohlenkamp
TCG
Seattle
Kathleen (Casey) Ridihalgh
Sierra Club
Seattle
Guy Bennett
Preston Community Club
Preston
Rollin Fatland
Seattle
Michael Hobbs
Friends of Marymoor Park
Kirkland
Nate Miles
Eli Lilly and Company
Seattle
Peter Orser
Quadrant Corporation
Bellevue
Jessyn Schor
Transportation Choices Coalition
Seattle
Jay Arnold
Futurewise Board Member
Kirkland
Chuck Booth
Auburn
Harold Fowler
H.D. Fowler Co.
Bellevue
Roger Hoesterey
Trust for Public Land
Seattle
Louise Miller
Woodinville
Frank Paganelli
Seattle
Maryanne Tagney-Jones
Black Diamond