Five Rivers MetroParks is working to put a new property tax on the November ballot in Montgomery County.
It would generate more than $14 million per year for the park district, to be used to maintain current parks and fill open staff positions.
The park system currently has a levy worth about $18 million a year that will sunset in 2028. Chief of Planning for MetroParks Carrie Scarff said they've had a deficit for several years.
“So we've gotten to a point now where if we only continue down that road without additional funding, the public is really going to start to feel this reduction in services. And a lot of our amenities will begin to suffer,” Scarff said.
Scarff said the park system has a backlog of $58 million in replacements and repairs. But Five Rivers could pay that off by 2037 if the tax passes, she said.
With about 250 employees, they have 19 positions they’ve had to leave vacant due to lack of funding, Scarff said.
The park district is also responsible for parts of the environment in Montgomery County. MetroParks manages 16,000 acres of natural areas, and 90% of that is preserved in its natural state, according to Scarff.
“We are a key contributor to water quality in the region. And we maintain those thriving wildlife corridors up and down our river systems that are so valuable to our natural systems in the area,” Scarff said.
The MetroParks board is expected to vote again next month on putting the 10-year levy on the ballot. If passed, the funding would be available to the park district as early as January.
