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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2014)
13 Street roots Oct. 24,2014 ' Replacement bond opportunity to support Portland Parks is incorporated into the City budget But funding for major repairs, and we will see state lawsays developer fees cannot be used more closures like ML Tabor Park On ballots right now, Portlanders have for repairs in older parks. restrooms in Southeast Portland, the Rieke the opportunity to vote on the Parks Earlier this year, Portland Parks & regional soccer field in SW Portland, Couch Replacement Bond, Measure 26459. Please Recreation’s citizen budget advisory Playground in Northwest Portland, and the turn over your ballot, and vote yes on committee advocated for a stable, long-term, Maple Trail in Forest Park. Measure 26-159 on the reverse side. supplemental funding strategy to address As your parks commissioner, I’m proud For the past 100 years, bonds and levies the significant backlog of major capital that Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) have been the standard mechanism to fund has a long history of using taxpayers’ money repair needs. The budget advisory parks construction and operations. This is committee recognized wisely. The bureau, which manages 209 the normal way Portlanders help pay for that $1.5 million per parks on 3,445 acres plus about 7,800 acres "Ms your Parks parks. Portland’s last parks bond—passed in of natural areas, stretches every existing year from the general 1994-will be paid off in 2015. That means Commissioner, I'm proud fund is not enough, dollar—with grants; local business support that voting yes on the replacement bond will and sponsorships, and with close to 500,000 The parks replacement that Portland Parks & help keep our parks safe and open, without bond is a strong and volunteer hours each year. Recreation lias a long increasing tax rates from what they are Still, the needs of Portland’s parks system prudent start to history of using taxpayers' today. I know many Portlanders are still addressing our major far exceed its annual general fund budget money wisely. The bureau, struggling to recover from the recession, so maintenance needs—a PP&R receives just $1.5 million each year which manages 2 0 9 parks I chose to keep the requested tax rate th e; start our budget for major maintenance in all 209 facilities. same, rather than ask for more. on 3 ,4 4 5 acres pins about advisory committee That’s double the major maintenance Measure 26-159 is a wise investment. If urged the City Council 1 ,8 0 0 acres of natural allocation when I became parks' the measure passes, it will provide $68 to refer to voters— f commissioner last year, but still grossly areas, stretches every million to replace aging playgrounds, without increasing the inadequate. Volunteers can’t fix swimming existing dollar." preserve access to open space by repairing tax rate. pool filtration systems, remove ADA trails and bridges, repair community pools Please join me in barriers that limit some Portlanders’ use of and prevent emergency closures; remove voting yes on Measure parks facilities, or patch roofs on our barriers to access for people experiencing 26-159. Providing this funding for parks community centers. disabilities, update park restrooms, increase maintenance will ease pressure on the More than $365 million is needed to worker safety and efficiency at our | general fund, allowing more City allocations perform major maintenance upkeep in ! to be allocated to support affordable housing maintenance facilities, fix structural Portland’s park System over the next 10 and homes for people bring outside. Visit problems at Pioneer Courthouse Square years. That’s in addition to $400 million FixOurParks.org to learn more. Add your (Portland’s living room), and much more. needed tó address park development needs name to the supporters list, and follow the Bond spending will be reviewed by a citizen in parks-deficient areas, to reach an campaign on Facebook and Twitter. oversight committee and audited. equitable level of service in every part of Together, we can keep the legacy of great If the measure doesn’t pass, annual the city. To address deficiencies in parks parks in Portland well-maintained for the property taxes paid on the typical home access, I’m allocating system development; next few years, and the next generation. with an assessed value of $152,890 could charges—fees on new construction, paid by Same taX rate, safer parks. Measure 26-159 decrease by about $13. We will risk developers-toward projects like Thomas f M responsible government partnering with emergency closures at our pools and other Cully Park, Kunamokwst Park, Spring responsible citizens. facilities because we don’t have other jGard^n ParkjlrkQs in Pier ParKfryQ qgw^ funding for systems that need major parks in East Portland, and Gateway Green. maintenance or replacement. We won’t have Maintenance money for- these new facilities BY AMANDA FRITZ C O N T R IB U T E D W R IT E R Amanda Fritz is a Portland City Commissioner. endors are Tegular contributors to Street Roots' content, as nists, poets and artists. 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