City Council unanimously voted to accept the Parks Levy Oversight Committee Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2023-24 on January 15, 2025.
The Parks Levy Oversight Committee (PLOC) is happy to present our review of the Year 3 Parks Levy Annual Report and Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Parks Levy actions in fiscal year (FY) 2023-24. We are pleased with the outcomes and impact made possible by the Parks Levy, specifically in meeting the commitments made to voters in the ballot language.
As one-third of the bureau’s operating budget, this critical funding source is supporting parks and recreation services that have significantly benefited Portlanders this year. Through the Parks Levy, the bureau is able to provide equitable recreation programs, daily cleaning and maintenance across the city, and deeper community partnerships.
The ballot language stated that a community oversight committee would be appointed to review Parks Levy expenditures and to report annually to City Council. The PLOC is a committee of five community members and we convene quarterly to review progress on the Parks Levy, receive updates from PP&R staff, and participate in topical presentations and discussions.
Per our charter, we produce our own annual report reviewing adherence to Parks Levy language, fiscal accountability, and transparency. As such, we submit the Year 3 Parks Levy Oversight Committee Annual Report.
Sincerely,
Parks Levy Oversight Committee
Current Members
The Parks Levy Oversight Committee (PLOC) is composed of five members, selected from an open public applicant pool, appointed by the PP&R Director. The PLOC reviews program implementation, advises on transparency and communication strategies, and counsel on an independent audit process.
Alescia Blakely is a Resident & Community Services Program Manager at Home Forward. She advocates for marginalized communities through building stronger connections to community health, workforce development, domestic violence and education systems. Alescia has over 30 years of social work experience working in both private and public sectors and is passionate about the benefits of parks and community centers.
Mary B. Ruble is a long time advocate for parks, currently a Portland Parks Foundation board member and previously on the Portland Parks Board. She has contributed her expertise to local organizations, including Portland Center Stage, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Self Enhancement, Inc., and more. Mary retired from U.S. Bank in 2018 as a Senior VP specializing in finance marketing and communications.
Silas Sanderson is a Professional Civil Engineer with Schnabel Engineering, where he works on environmental restoration, risk assessments of flood reduction structures, and seismic assessments. He loves the outdoors and is passionate about empowering Portland’s communities to realize their vision for their parks.
Tim Williams was raised in Eugene and moved to Portland in 2007 to work in health care. For the past 11 years, he has been a small business owner, managing a neighborhood restaurant and bar. Tim and his wife live in Southeast Portland and all three of their children have participated in the PP&R preschool program. They love exploring Portland’s parks and splash pads.
Zay Conant is a senior at McDaniel High School and was most recently a committee co-chair on the Multnomah Youth Commission. In their free time Zay draws, reads, hangs out with friends, studies, and helps their parents around the house. Zay loves their community and is proud to work on bringing people together with healthier, more environmentally conscious tactics.
Fiscal Accountability
Definition: Maintain fiscal accountability as a core driver. Parks Levy dollars are tracked and auditable. Ensure integrity and accuracy of financial statements.
PP&R continues to be fiscally accountable in tracking Parks Levy dollars in a transparent, auditable, and effective way. Throughout the year, PP&R maintained fiscal accountability by presenting a variety of finance items at PLOC meetings including quarterly updates of spending, the FY 2024-25 Requested Budget, and updates to the Parks Levy forecast.
PP&R published all Parks Levy expenses, categorized by service area (Functional Area) and work group (Fund Center), as part of the Year 3 Parks Levy Annual Report. The PLOC appreciates that PP&R can track Parks Levy expenditures at a variety of levels, from alignment with Parks Levy ballot commitments to granular line-item expenses. This ensures that Parks Levy dollars are tracked, auditable, and spent responsibly.
The PLOC does not perform audits in their role, and looks forward to receiving and reviewing the independent audit in early 2025. Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting Inc. will share a final report with analysis on adherence to the language of the Parks Levy measure and review of financial systems and statements. This review will validate the auditability of Parks Levy expenses and provide additional transparency about fiscal accountability.
The PLOC particularly values PP&R's proactive communication around the revenue forecast for the Parks Levy. PP&R clearly articulated that the first two years were anticipated to be a ramp up for service delivery, and now in Year 3, PP&R has reached the mid-point where revenues are balanced by expenditures as promised. With adjusted projections on tax revenues and inflation, PP&R presented a new five-year forecast showing how the underspending from Years 1 and 2 will help fill the gap in projected revenue in Years 4 and 5. The PLOC appreciates PP&R's stewardship of the Parks Levy dollars and how the Leveraged Funding Model ensures Parks Levy revenue is balanced across the five-year time frame to support continued operations, even when annual expenses exceed annual revenue.
In FY 2023-24, PP&R has proactively communicated Parks Levy decision points, financial statements, and budget implications with the PLOC and shown clearly tracked and auditable finances. Further, by sharing Parks Levy financial information with the public in PLOC meeting notes and the Year 3 Parks Levy Annual Report, PP&R remains fiscally accountable to Portlanders.
Recommendation: Continue proactively sharing financial status with the PLOC as projections change and disseminate independent audit findings.
Adherence to Ballot Language
Definition: Actions are based on and build upon the promises contained in the language of the voters’ pamphlet.
PP&R directly aligned Parks Levy FY 2023-24 actions, financials, and performance measures with the 15 commitments from the ballot measure, showing performance on promises made to voters. Each of the 15 voter commitments had actions and programs that helped meet the commitments, service area financials that aligned with each commitment, and performance measures that spoke to progress made for each commitment in the fiscal year. The PLOC appreciates the continued direct use of the ballot language to show adherence.
The PLOC encourages PP&R to continue to refine performance measures and their use in tracking progress and success. Specifically, establishing quantification on what progress in each commitment looks like for the bureau will help clearly show how the Parks Levy has impacted PP&R operations and success related to the Parks Levy commitments. In addition, the PLOC looks forward to receiving the results of the Community Needs Survey in 2025 to understand how increased and sustained service levels from the Parks Levy are perceived by Portlanders. The PLOC encourages PP&R to use the survey data to refine programs and initiatives to best serve the community and speak to Parks Levy impact, and to be transparent in communicating how survey feedback is used to support refinements and decisions.
A key element of adhering to the ballot language is delivering programming and fostering partnerships in PP&R spaces. As such, the quality and condition of PP&R facilities are critical. As an operating funding source, the Parks Levy is only eligible to fund smaller repairs and daily park care but cannot pay for more extensive large capital repair projects. If facilities become degraded due to the end of their useful life or lack of major capital maintenance, PP&R's ability to deliver programs with the Parks Levy will diminish. The PLOC urges the City to prioritize funding to address the nearly $600 million maintenance backlog to support continued delivery of critical park services.
Overall, all Parks Levy-related actions taken in FY 2023-24 adhere to the ballot language, and PP&R has communicated
that adherence.
Recommendation: Quantify what progress in each voter commitment looks like, use upcoming survey data to understand and communicate Parks Levy impact, and seek capital funding to ensure facilities remain open for Parks Levy supported community use.
Transparency
Definition: Act in a way that clearly promotes equity, participation, accountability, and engenders trust.
PP&R ensures that Parks Levy information is shared with the public through posting PLOC meeting notes, website and social media content, and the Parks Levy Annual Report. The PLOC appreciates a commitment to language access and to providing information for all audiences by sharing translated and accessible Parks Levy documents, and encourages PP&R to continue to prioritize translation and accessibility in communication materials. The PLOC appreciates PP&R's commitment to sharing the impact of the Parks Levy and promoting trust.
The list of programs and initiatives that the Parks Levy supports is broad and extensive, resulting in a high volume of information about where Parks Levy funds are going and the resulting outcomes. The PLOC urges PP&R to create additional short-form materials to share the impact of the Parks Levy in easy-to-read and understandable formats. The full Parks Levy Annual Report serves as a comprehensive summary of Parks Levy services, however, additional, intentionally brief materials will be beneficial in demonstrating Parks Levy impact. These materials should be shared in a variety of formats and locations, community groups, and audiences to maximize breadth of communication.
Similarly, as PP&R collects performance and financial data year-over-year, the PLOC encourages PP&R to enhance transparency and clarity by presenting annual Parks Levy-related data in visual formats such as graphs. The Year 4 report and webpage are prime opportunities to include visuals showing performance over time.
The PLOC recognizes that PP&R is functioning amidst a transition in City structure including a new City Council, Mayor, and City Administrator. To maximize public trust in the stewardship of the Parks Levy, as well as communicate the critical nature of this funding source, the PLOC encourages incoming City leaders to collaborate with PP&R in understanding the financial picture of Portland's park and recreation system.
Finally, continued and increased engagement with centered communities is essential to promoting equity and engendering trust. The PLOC encourages PP&R to broadly share how the bureau is adapting based on community feedback. The periodic Community Needs Survey, conducted every five to seven years with updated results anticipated in 2025, and ongoing focus groups and feedback surveys will be key in understanding Portlanders’ perceptions of park and recreation services.
Recommendation: Develop succinct, visually-focused communication materials to share Parks Levy impact. Enhance participation and public trust through community engagement and collaboration with City leadership.
Portland Parks & Recreation’s developing civil rights page offers information related to making programming more accessible and inclusive.
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws, and reasonably provides translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids, and services. Request these services or call 503-823-2525. For for Relay Service or TTY contact 711.
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