Right now, Council is discussing a replacement for our Parks Levy. The current levy is set to expire next year, and we’ll be asking you in November to pass a new levy so we can continue to fund our parks.
This is our opportunity to invest in our open spaces, recreation programs, and our neighborhood parks – spaces that connect our communities, provide our kids with natural areas close to home, and offer hundreds of hours of classes and programs each week. It’s also a chance to continue funding the programs Council fought so hard to get back in our budget this year. It will ensure that parks summer camp programs continue, and begin to address the long-term maintenance needs piling up in our system.
As a parent of young kids, I know how important this levy is for our community. Every time the levy comes up, I tell my colleagues that I will be first in line to advocate for a ballot measure that Councilors can get behind and that Portlanders can get excited about – something that balances the needs of our parks with our community’s financial capacity.
At today’s special Council meeting, we will vote to refer this five-year levy to the ballot. And I will do everything I can to make sure it’s a win for all Portlanders.
If you have a story about how parks make our city better, share it with your neighbors. Let us know. Get involved.
With half of our first year behind us already, I’m looking towards the future – and what Portland looks like for our neighbors and our families as we build that future. I want to thank you for staying engaged and helping us get there. I know that we can’t do this alone.