As a mom, as a park-goer, and as a City Councilor, I want to say thank you to Portland voters for approving the Portland parks levy in this month's election. At a time when our city is being tested, your support for parks is a powerful statement about who we are – a community that believes in shared spaces, access for people of every income and background, and the importance of nature and open spaces to building healthy communities.
Thanks to your support and community-centered actions, we will be able to keep our community centers open, clean and repair our playgrounds and bathrooms, and provide essential programming for children and seniors, regardless of economic background.
Not only am I grateful for the outcome of this vote, but I am also excited to continue the work of refining and revitalizing our Portland parks system. Moving ahead, I am looking forward to seeing the citywide plan to address deferred capital maintenance, and Parks Bureau plans to find efficiencies and opportunities to offset costs through sponsorships and partnerships while ensuring our parks system continues to serve the public good. The City of Portland will work closely with the Parks Foundation, Parks Friends groups, and community members to ensure we have a parks system worthy of long-term community support.
Across the country on election night, we saw Americans vote for hope, for progress, and for community. The next time I visit a Portland park with my kids, I'm going to be reminded of what we can accomplish when we work together rather than apart. Our parks are the lifeblood of our community, and we just proved that we have what it takes to keep them strong.