Over the past twenty years, Seattle has been like a lot of American cities. When times are good, park and rec budgets fare pretty well, but when the bottom falls out, it falls hard. After nearly 15 years of general funding cuts, massive staff layoffs, failing facilities and more than $270 million in deferred maintenance, park leaders in the public and not-for-profit sector embarked on an ambitious path to help reverse the precipitous slide to ensure the future of the stunning Seattle parks system. In 2014, after years of work and delicate political machinations, voters in Seattle narrowly approved a measure that would create the Seattle Park District.

 

The park district began to shift the budget narrative, giving the park department a reliable slice of property tax revenue, dedicated to parks year in and year out, without, at least for the time being, cutting into general fund support. While clearly not a panacea, the Park District is a unique pact between voters, elected officials and the parks department, with the expectation that the department will take care of its precious assets, while making strategic investment in catalytic projects like the Seattle Waterfront Park.  

 

Sound like something you could use? Join the club. We all know the budgetary dynamic in our respective communities, and like Seattle, there are a lot of places out there that have had some success in achieving dedicated funding of their own. Voters are smart. They know a good deal when they see one, and that’s the beauty of the park and rec story. We can show voters — in a relatively short amount of time — tremendous progress in how their dollars are spent. From capital improvements to staffing for new programs and increasing routine maintenance, more money means better results. I’m not suggesting voters will give us a blank check, but a smart, accountable ballot measure that gives you dedicated funding for your priorities, regardless of whether you live in bright blue Seattle or bright red Oklahoma City, can and should pass. The Trust for Public Land has found that around 80 percent of park and conservation ballot measures pass, and that voters will vote to tax themselves at a higher rate than even the most enlightened politician would agree to.  

 

So what are you waiting for? The next economic downturn or recession will come. How will you prepare? How will you maintain what you have in the face of tremendous political pressure for cuts? Start the conversation in your community and start to think about what your winning story would be, who will help carry your message, and who will do the political work to carry the measure across the finish line. Don’t be shy, because when the time comes, if you aren’t at the dedicated funding table, you’re on the menu.