Portland City Council is considering the referral of a Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) operating levy for this November’s ballot.
It would protect and restore recreation programs, park services, and our natural areas, including:
- Recreation for All: end PP&R’s dependence on fees and transition to an equity-focused approach. Safely re-open community centers and pools, and resume fitness, arts, senior and youth, and environmental education programs for summer 2021;
- Protect and Grow Nature: keep parks cleaner, safer, and more welcoming for all Portlanders. Plant new trees and proactively care for existing trees to help ensure clean water, protect wildlife, and diminish the impacts of climate change;
- Community Partnerships: co–design recreational programming and provide resources to improve access to communities of color, families experiencing poverty, and refugees and immigrants, and provide community oversight.
If approved by voters in November, this levy would mark the beginning of a new, financially stable era for our parks and recreation system where parks and natural areas will be better cared for, and cost will not be a barrier to enjoying recreation programs. The proposed levy of .80 per $1,000 assessed value would raise an estimated average $48 million per year over five years. A home with an assessed value of $200,000 would pay about $13 a month.
Visit the PP&R website to learn more: https://www.portland.gov/parks/sustainable-future-our-park-system
You can share your input in a few ways:
- Tell us what you like about your parks and recreation system and what you’d like to see more of in the future: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XZVM3L8
- Reach out to your elected officials. On July 22, the Portland City Council will vote on whether to refer this proposal to the ballot. Please send your comments to Portland City Council Contact emails:
Mayor Ted Wheeler (MayorWheeler@portlandoregon.gov)
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (joann@portlandoregon.gov)
Commissioner Chloe Eudaly (chloe@portlandoregon.gov)
Commissioner Amanda Fritz (amanda@portlandoregon.gov)
Adena Long, Portland Parks & Recreation Director (parksdirector@portlandoregon.gov)
- Share your enthusiasm with your networks. In this video, three Portlanders share why investing in our parks is so critical now, and so important for the next generation. Watch and share here: https://youtu.be/xPCwSEkJ6KY