February 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 50

GRASSROOTS GUMPTION

Proof can be found by simply
looking at the results from the most
recent general election of November 2014. Nationwide, more than
two dozen state and local ballot
questions ranging from State Constitutional Amendments to local
taxes and municipal bonds were approved by voters, committing more
than $29 billion for public park
infrastructure and maintenance,
with up to 75 percent voter approval rates. These included statewide
measures approved by voters in
California, Florida and New Jersey.
In addition, the city of Seattle approved creation of a Special Park
District, effectively creating a dedicated tax for parks and recreation.
Additionally, as reported by the
Center for Transportation Excellence,
69 percent of all transit or multimodal measures were approved by voters
this past year, including Rhode Island's first ever statewide transportation bonds. Voters in Clayton County,
Georgia, approved an increase in their
local sales tax to join four other Atlanta-area jurisdictions as part of the
MARTA public transit system.

The Trust for Public Land reports
that voters approved a record $13
billion specifically for land conservation. The following is a simple scorecard illustrating key conservation
ballot measures from the November
elections, along with a few transportation measures relevant to parks
and recreation. We included some
landmark victories as well as a few
defeats. Each serves as a bellwether
of community and state public priorities, which NRPA believes will
give elected leaders in Washington
the political courage to do the same
at the national level.
The measures included:
Statewide
Florida voters (by an overwhelming 3-to-1 margin) approved the single largest state
land conservation measure in history.
An amendment to the state constitution will dedicate $18 billion during the
next 20 years, with half that amount set
aside for new land conservation.
The voters of New Jersey
(known for their dislike of
increased taxes without any

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perceived public benefit) decided by a
2-to-1 margin to dedicate more than
$2 billion during the next 20 years for
land conservation, utilizing a portion
of the revenues from the state corporate business tax to fund it.
Californians voted in favor of
$1.5 billion for land conservation as part of a $7.5 billion
water infrastructure bond. It's the first
new state funding specifically for land
conservation in almost a decade.
In North Dakota, a proposed
state constitutional amendment
that would have dedicated 5
percent of the state's oil extraction tax
money to parks and conservation for
the next 25 years (approximately $75
million/year) was soundly defeated.

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Regional and Local
Portland, Oregon, voters
approved a $68 million
bond specifically to address
the issues of repairing and maintaining their community parks.
In Bernalillo County, New
Mexico (Albuquerque area),
a 15-year property tax for
open space and natural areas passed.
In Larimer County, Colorado (Fort Collins), extension
of a 25-year property tax for
conservation was approved.
Raleigh, North Carolina, voters
approved a $92 million bond for
parks and recreation facilities.
In Hopewell Township,
New Jersey, a new 1 percent property tax for open
space, farmland and recreational
purposes was approved.
A 10-year property tax in Benton
County, Washington, which was
expected to generate $1 million
annually for open space, was narrowly
defeated 45 percent to 55 percent.
In Los Angeles County, California, a $23 parcel fee to pay
for parks and other priorities

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48	 Parks & Recreation

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February 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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