Pro Parks Levy Overall Summary 

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LEVY STATISTICS

• The levy "lid lift" will raise up to $198.2 million over a period of up to eight years, plus anticipated interest earnings of $1.98 million.
• The annual cost to property owners will be approximately $.35 per $1000 assessed value.
• The levy funds cannot be used to supplant current levels of parks and recreation funding from the General Subfund and Charter-mandated revenues. An exception can be made in the case of a natural or economic disaster.

FUNDING CATEGORIES

• There are four major categories for funding:
• Acquisition – Neighborhood park space; greenbelts/natural areas
• Development– Neighborhood parks; playfields and facilities; trails and boulevards
• Acquisition and Development Opportunity Fund– Funding for new acquisition and development projects identified by neighborhood and community groups.
• Environmental Stewardship, Maintenance, and Programming– Maintenance of new parks and green spaces, environmental stewardship programming, enhanced maintenance of existing properties, increased recreational programming for youth and seniors, and increased operational support for Zoo.

ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FUND

Funding from this category will be allocated by the City Council after considering recommendations from the Superintendent and the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee. Any new acquisition or development project identified by a neighborhood or community is potentially eligible for funding through the Opportunity Fund. High priority will be given to projects in presently underserved areas as defined in the Parks and Recreation Plan 2000. Next priority will be given to projects in areas of the city experiencing population growth, particularly in urban villages and/or urban centers and to projects in Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas. The Oversight Committee will establish additional criteria to guide it in making its recommendations for spending the Opportunity Fund money.

» Opportunity Fund
» Oversight Committee

PARKS AND GREEN SPACES LEVY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

• The Committee will be made up of 16 members, eight each appointed by the Mayor and City Council. It will include six residents of the city representing geographic diversity, one member of the Board of Park Commissioners, initially four PRO Parks 2000 Citizens’ Planning Committee members (the committee that developed the original levy proposal), with the balance coming from the diverse constituencies served by and interested in the levy-funded projects and programs.
• The Committee will meet regularly with the Superintendent, review the expenditure of the levy proceeds, and make recommendations to the Superintendent, Mayor, and City Council regarding the use of the levy funds.
  
  » Oversight Committee