37685

WHEREAS, Portland’s parks, natural areas, trees, and recreational opportunities support City Council’s core priorities by drawing residents and visitors to Portland; positively activating shared public spaces; adding beauty to our city; and connecting people to place, nature, self, and community; and

WHEREAS, the City of Portland’s park system covers 15% of Portland’s geographical footprint and includes 11,672 total acres – including 7,900 acres of natural area –  across 5 watersheds; 154 developed parks; 12 community and art centers; 11 community pools; and 1.2 million park trees; and

WHEREAS, Portland residents treasure and care for this legacy, and value equitable access for all Portlanders; and

WHEREAS, in November 2020, Portland voters passed a five-year local option levy (2020 Parks Levy) to support park and recreation operations; and

WHEREAS, before the 2020 Parks Levy, the bureau’s reliance on fees to fund programs and services created barriers to access and caused a structural funding issue leading to regular service level cuts; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Parks Levy has successfully delivered on voter commitments including transparent annual reports, an independent audit, and an independent advisory committee that produces and presents a separate annual report; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Parks Levy has enabled Portland to keep operational community centers and pools open and programmed for the community, and increased the community member scholarship or discounted access for paid recreation and drop-in programs from approximately $600,000 per year prior to the 2020 Parks Levy to over $4 million in Fiscal Year 2023-24, serving nearly 18,000 people; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Parks Levy has increased the City’s capacity to sustain basic maintenance including litter and waste removal, restroom cleaning, asset and landscape maintenance, and care for natural areas; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Parks Levy has funded, for the first time, proactive tree inspection and holistic tree care in parks and natural areas, which maintains healthy trees and reduces tree loss; and supported an increase of 50+% in the number of trees planted citywide annually; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Parks Levy is a critical component of the bureau’s operational revenues, forecasted to provide about 40% of operating funds in its final two years (FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26); and 

WHEREAS, the bureau has estimated it will fully expend all 2020 Parks Levy resources by the end of the five-year 2020 Parks Levy on June 30, 2026; and

WHEREAS, while the bureau leverages grants, public-private and other partnerships, and volunteerism, funding is still insufficient to deliver expected services to the community, to provide an equitable and affordable parks system, and to meet rising internal costs; and

WHEREAS, over the last century, Portlanders have created and maintained today’s park system through a series of investments including voter-approved bonds and levies such as the 2020 Parks Levy.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Portland Parks & Recreation is directed to prepare a resolution for a ballot referral for City Council to consider no later than Spring 2025 to refer to the voters a five-year local option tax levy for the May or November 2025 General Election; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that resolution will include information about how levy funds would help Portland Parks & Recreation meet community and Council expectations, achieve service level goals, and prevent service level cuts.