That Seattle and surrounding King County stay abundantly verdant isn’t any accident. Since 1962, when voters passed a bond to purchase farmland for what turned the regional Marymoor Park, King County’s parks now quantity greater than 200 and supply 28,000 acres of open area.
Such a legacy of greenery and recreation should be protected, nurtured and enhanced — and could be, with a sure vote for King County’s parks levy on the August poll.
The six-year, $1.4 billion levy was crafted by way of an intensive outreach effort by the county that included enter from greater than 4,800 residents throughout all council districts. Two priorities emerged from respondents: to really feel secure and a need to additional broaden parks.
The levy does each, with a comparatively modest ask of $2.50 extra per thirty days than homeowners of a median-priced King County dwelling pay now. For the proprietor of that $844,000 dwelling, the levy will price $196 per yr.
The levy proposal would enhance ballfields, swimming pools and different recreation services, notably within the county’s South Finish. That features a $19 million allotment to turf the South County Ballfields in Auburn.
As properly, the levy extends the county’s expansive path community southward, together with new segments on the Lake to Sound Trail and Soos Creek Path, and refurbishing Interurban Path South.
Funding additionally filters right down to many initiatives inside King County’s cities; hundreds of thousands of {dollars} will proceed to assist the Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo and Pacific Science Middle, and lots of different services and park lands.
The levy would additionally double the variety of sheriff’s deputies and parks rangers within the system from seven to 14, a wanted rise.
There is risk if sufficient voters bitter on repeated property tax hikes, because the editorial board warned earlier than the final levy’s passage in 2019. However King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski stated the council shaved $74 million off former County Govt Dow Constantine’s preliminary proposal. Dembowski referred to as their model of the levy “pragmatically daring.”
The Belief for Public Land named Seattle the eighth best city within the nation for its parks. Voters can safeguard this treasured useful resource with a sure vote in King County’s parks levy in August.
