Copyright The Oregonian
Portlanders appeared poised Tuesday to approve a ballot measure to significantly increase money collected from property owners to maintain existing parks and recreation services. Measure 26-260 had garnered about 53% of the vote in partial returns tallied as of 8 p.m. The proposal, crafted and referred by city leaders, presented voters with a stark and, for some, an exasperating choice: hike Portland’s current parks levy by 75%, or watch one of the city’s most treasured civic assets wither under severe budget cuts and the ensuing neglect. It appears a majority of voters opted to stomach paying much more rather than seeing the Parks Bureau slash its operations by up to 50%. The measure will raise the existing levy from 80 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value annually to $1.40, a move that city officials said was necessary just to sustain current parks operations. Under the new five-year tax hike, an average city homeowner will pay an extra $133 a year. For commercial property owners, that amount is about $188. Money from the existing levy is used to spruce up parks and natural areas, pay for outdoor and community center programs and provide low-income residents with free or reduced-cost swim lessons, summer camps and other recreational activities. None of those dollars, however, have gone toward what some advocates say is the most pressing issue facing Portland Parks & Recreation — its swelling price tag for major infrastructure repairs, now estimated between $550 million and $800 million. A tiny portion of the updated parks levy each year — about $2 million — will go toward chipping away at the staggering maintenance backlog. Citywide, the bureau operates and maintains 156 parks, 11 indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a dozen community centers, as well as other natural areas and recreational facilities. The Parks Bureau’s operating budget for this fiscal year is $170 million, with more than 40% coming from the current levy. City officials estimate the new parks levy will raise more than $456 million over the next five years. The Portland City Council unanimously referred the measure to voters in June after months of painstaking debate over an increased tax rate that would be palatable to voters as well as the city’s traditional power brokers. The measure ultimately earned the backing of Portland’s top state and local elected leaders, as well as a coalition of dozens of nonprofit, environmental, labor and business groups. Portlanders for Parks, the campaign launched in support of the proposal, raised at least $168,000, state financial records show. While the measure attracted no formal opposition campaign, Councilor Dan Ryan — a former city parks commissioner — became the sole member of the City Council to come out against the levy, arguing the tax hike was too steep. The current five-year levy passed easily in 2020 with 64% of the vote. At the time, city leaders envisioned the measure as a temporary fix for the long-beleaguered Parks Bureau as it worked to find sustainable solutions for its operations and capital maintenance needs. Yet the bureau has continued to struggle financially amid inflation, rising wages and declining city revenues and as it has added hundreds of new employees to its payroll. Earlier this year, the bureau faced about $14 million in general fund cuts under Mayor Keith Wilson’s proposed budget, though some of that funding was ultimately restored by the City Council. Those ongoing challenges were laid bare last month in a bruising report by Portland Auditor Simone Rede, which determined the bureau remains without any plan to pay for reasonable parks upkeep. Among Rede’s many findings were that the Parks Bureau had failed to demonstrate strong financial stewardship or show the public what cost-saving measures it has pursued as it again asked taxpayers for more money. In response to the audit, parks and city officials said the bureau would seek to have a fiscal sustainability plan in place by June 2028. The increased levy will cost a median residential homeowner in Portland about $310 a year, up from $177, according to figures provided by the city. A median commercial property owner, meanwhile, will pay about $439 annually, up from $251. The assessed value of a median single-family home in Portland is currently $221,600. For a median commercial property, it’s $313,810. Under the new proposal, that money will pay for daily restroom cleaning and trash pickup at parks, continue free and discounted programs for low-income residents and keep pools and community centers open, among other services and amenities. The levy will also create a new oversight committee that reports directly to the Portland City Council, a move that proponents say will allow voters to hold elected officials accountable for how the money is spent.
