by Larry Phillips and Cynthia Sullivan

WHEN SEATTLEITES tell people why we love the Pacific Northwest, most of us top our list with our close proximity to both mountains and sea. The Cascade foothills beckon throughout the year for hikes and outings, where Seattle-area residents use King County parks every day with their families, friends and pets.

On May 20th, voters will have the chance to support a four-year 4.9-cent levy dedicated to keeping our regional park system open, safe and clean. The owner of a $250,000 home will contribute $12.25 per year—one dollar a month. I hope you will agree that is a very reasonable amount to protect the incredible public investment we have made in our regional parks, and vote "yes" in May.

There's no question that King County parks serve Seattle residents, and Seattle residents have supported them with their tax dollars for years. The citizen group Save Our Dog Areas (S.O.D.A.) estimates that 29 percent of Marymoor Park's off-leash-area users are from Seattle. Bicyclists, including Olympic hopefuls, train at the velodrome. The climbing rocks, soccer and softball fields, rowing facilities and summer concerts offer outdoor activities for all Seattle-area residents.

This year's state AAA boys' swimming championships were held in February at the King County Aquatics Center, drawing top swimmers from all over Washington State, including Seattle. The 27-mile Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River trail that runs from Seattle to Marymoor Park provides Seattle bike enthusiasts and their families a safe and pleasurable route away from urban traffic.

Because property taxes are now lidded at no more than one percent growth annually, King County simply does not have the revenues we once had to sustain the costs of our parks system or the other services supported by the general fund, including public health, human services and our law and justice system.

The result of the one percent lid is a County property tax savings of more than $140 million over the next four years. Comparatively, the proposed 4.9-cent parks levy will only raise $48 million over the same period of time. When combined with cost reductions in the parks system and new entrepreneurial revenues, the levy will complete the funding package needed to keep our parks open and maintained.

Over the last two years, our parks department has been streamlined—its 2003 budget was cut by more than 35 percent, or $9 million, which included the elimination of more than 80 positions and the closure or transfer of many facilities. This recent action followed a nearly $1 million cut in the 2002 budget, which included the reduction of another 30 full time positions. And we transferred 13 parks and 9 pools to the suburban cities in which they reside, saving the county more than $4 million.

The county is exploring a new "entrepreneurial" approach to running our remaining parks facilities. We've instituted new user fees, such as the $1 parking fee at Marymoor Park, which generated $67,000 during February and March. Norah Jones and the Moody Blues are lined up to play this summer at Marymoor's new outdoor concert facility, which accommodates 5,000. A series of trail-running events is planned for Cougar Mountain, where Seattle hikers and runners regularly enjoy the rustic trails.

King County is continuing to work with our citizen and government partners to find innovative and more efficient ways of doing business. We've made great strides and will do more, but all of these efforts are not enough to keep our regional county parks system open for our residents to enjoy every day. We must establish a new, dedicated source of funds to keep parks maintained and accessible across the region.

Many families value living in Seattle because we have close access to public parks and trails outside of the city. We accept urban density in exchange for preservation of natural areas in eastern and rural King County.

Supporting the levy means keeping our regional parks open and maintained now and in the future. Please join me in continuing Seattle's long tradition of supporting King County's fantastic regional park system, and vote "yes" in May.

Phillips has represented Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne on the Metropolitan King County Council for 11 years, and currently chairs the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. Sullivan is chair of the Metropolitan King County Council. She represents District Two, comprised of most Northeast Seattle neighborhoods.