"The main reason to vote in favor? If the levy fails, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will face a roughly $90 million budget shortfall, forcing major layoffs and service cuts. You'll likely see neighborhood parks deteriorate as trash collection and bathroom cleanup services are reduced. Community center programming will be slashed. A failure to pass the levy would have long-lasting and far-reaching impacts, putting particular strain on low-income Portlanders."
"Revenue from the levy has helped fund crucial parks services since it was implemented, and a 2024 audit of the levy's spending showed it lived up to its promises to voters. The new levy will set a property tax rate of $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value to raise money for the city's parks system, and is expected to bring in $456 million over five years."
Portland faces a special election on a parks levy that would set a property tax rate of $1.40 per $1,000 assessed value and is expected to raise $456 million over five years. Failure would create an estimated $90 million PP&R budget shortfall, triggering major layoffs, reduced trash collection and bathroom cleanup, program cuts at community centers, and deterioration of neighborhood parks, disproportionately affecting low-income residents. A prior 2020 parks levy at 80 cents per $1,000 funded services through pandemic hardships, and a 2024 audit found the levy's spending met promises. The measure has broad support, though critics note it won’t eliminate the maintenance backlog.
Read at Portland Mercury
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