Hesser updated the Montgomery County commission Tuesday morning on what her agency plans to do with the $14.2 million in new funds annually if their levy passes this November.
Five Rivers MetroParks manages 35 locations, including 18 MetroParks, the 2nd Street Market, eight conservation areas and eight sections of the region’s trail network.
A second levy
The proposed 1-mill tax measure would cost the owner of a $100,000 property in Montgomery County $35 per year.
This equates to less than $3 per month, Hesser said.
The park district looked into pursuing a replacement levy this fall for its current 2-mill, 10-year property tax measure that most recently passed in 2018 in order to generate new revenue, but it would not be eligible to put that measure on the ballot until 2027.
In the past 10 years, state and other funding has been eliminated or reduced. In 2010, MetroParks received more than $480,000 in local government funds. In 2023, the agency received $364,342. Operational costs, such as the price of materials, have also increased while MetroParks’ revenue has decreased by $2.75 million, according to MetroParks.
A total of 87% of MetroParks’ current operating budget is funded by its existing levy passed by voters in 2018. Donations, local government funds, grants, user fees and more cover the remaining 13%.
Five Rivers MetroParks operated on a $22 million budget last year, according to its 2023 financial report. Roughly $19.3 million of this was supplied by levy funds.
Projects backlog, vacant positions
Hesser said MetroParks has made $1.5 million in cost-saving measures this year. Most impacted by this is personnel-related costs.
The park system — which typically has roughly 300 part-time and full-time positions — is holding off on hiring 20 positions that have been vacated. This includes administrative positions and park ranger jobs, among other positions.
MetroParks had $15.6 million budgeted for personnel in its 2023 budget. The passage of the levy would not see the immediate hiring of these 20 jobs, Hesser said.
If the levy fails to pass, Hesser said that could spell the shrinking of park programs and festivals, but also put the park system further behind on its $58 million backlog of maintenance projects.
Some of these projects include repair and replacement work at Island MetroPark, as well as other major proposed projects such as replacing the playground at Eastwood MetroPark and replacing the restrooms at Wesleyan, Possum Creek, Germantown, Wegerzyn, Englewood and Aullwood MetroParks.
“We’re definitely focused on not building new,” Hesser said. “This is definitely taking care of what we have. This levy will do that.”
Reconnecting with nature
As many as 98% of Montgomery County residents live within a 10-minute drive of a MetroPark, and park usage strengthened during the pandemic.
“We’re providing physical, emotional and mental health support for our community, right?” Hesser said. “We found this during COVID, people wanted to go outside. They needed fresh air and sunshine and green space.”
The shutdown of office spaces and other businesses reignited a fervor for the region’s parks and trails, Hesser said, with the parks seeing an uptick in people wanting to hike on trails or picnic.
MetroParks estimates it saw more than 2 million visits to its locations last year, according to the 2023 annual report.
According to Five Rivers MetroParks data, 300,000 residents visit the county parks a few times per year. And just last year, 167,000 people attended park programs.
The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 5 general election is Oct. 7.
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