Seattle Press on Line - "Parks for All" Property Tax Levy Includes Something for Everyone

"Parks for All" Property Tax Levy Includes Something for Everyone

By Sara Longley

Oct 18, 2000 -- The Parks for All (Proposition 1) property tax levy is up for a public vote in Seattle this November 7, and pinned to it are the hopes and dreams of hundreds of neighborhood parks activists, salmon recovery advocates, ball players, zoo boosters, boaters and open space lovers.

Crafted by the PRO Parks 2000 Citizens' Planning Committee, assembled and facilitated by the Seattle Parks Department, Proposition 1 includes money for land acquisition for new parks, improvements and maintenance for existing parks and athletic fields, recreational and environmental programming, an opportunity fund for additional land acquisitions and last (but certainly not least) a large allocation for the Woodland Park Zoo. The levy's inclusiveness is aimed at attracting voters from all corners of the city and from all backgrounds with a something-for-everyone package. Projects slated to receive funding were drawn from neighborhood plans and community forums.

Parks for All funding would go to enlarging and enhancing green spaces around town, including the Ballard Municipal Center Park development, Magnuson Park wetlands restoration and several other large-scale projects. Smaller but no less important to local people are projects like the Greenwood Greenhouses development, which will transform a former wholesale greenhouse into a neighborhood park including a community garden, playground and a wide open field surrounded by trees and benches for sitting. "The community is really excited about it," says Quincy Robertson of the Greenwood Boys & Girls Club, which is located across the street from the future park. "These kinds of things enhance the quality of life for everyone." Currently, Greenwood is one of the most park-poor neighborhoods in the city.

But not everyone is boosting the levy. The eight-year levy total is $198.2 million, an amount that dismays anti-tax activists. A group called Citizens Working for a Better Tomorrow has raised $58,000 from the Apartment Association of Seattle and King County (AASK), a group of property owners opposed to tax hikes. Seattle Times editorial board member O. Casey Corr came out against Proposition 1 on principle in a July 14 editorial, writing, "This is another display of the city's unstated fiscal policy. Downtown projects such as a garage, aquarium and symphony hall get special handling. They are approved without public votes and financed through the city's credit card. Voters get no say in the matter.

"It's another story if the public wants improved community centers, more play fields or new gyms. For that, the city pleads poverty and tells citizens it needs higher property taxes."

Longtime open space warrior Benella Caminiti is also opposed to Proposition 1. According to her research, Seattle already enjoys the highest percentage of parks funding per capita of the 25 largest American cities. Caminiti also points out that Seattle has still to foot the bill for over $1 billion in current projects, including the library, the new Civic Center, City Hall and Justice Center, community centers, the Seattle Center and Mayor Schell's $50 million increase in General Fund spending in his 2001-2002 budget proposal.

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