Prop. 1 funding Is needed right now

In endorsing Olympia Proposition 1, the Olympian Editorial Board did a good job of objectively laying out the facts for this city ballot measure.

The measure would create a metropolitan parks district in Olympia, generating about $3 million per year for parks. With the funding, the city will have the ability to buy some of the remaining lands for parks in advance of the coming wave of population growth. It will also be able to catch up on deferred park maintenance and to continue recreation programs.

Without that funding, precious park lands will be lost to development, and facilities and programs will decline.

The editorial board mentioned that a companion ordinance requires the city to maintain its current level of spending on parks, about 11 percent of the city’s general fund. With this requirement, when you vote taxes for parks, you actually get that much more money to meet park needs. Seattle had a similar requirement in its recently approved metropolitan parks district.

Prop. 1 is by far the best way to get parks funding now when we need it. Waiting for a regional metropolitan park district would be the kiss of death. Just to get a regional district on the ballot would require signatures of 15 percent of the registered voters in each of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County. And to run effectively, all of those entities would have to agree how to help fund and control it.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Prop. 1 funding Is needed right now."