The Stakes Are Clear

Without this levy, Portland Parks & Recreation will lose approximately half of its operating budget. This isn’t hyperbole or a scare tactic. It’s the financial reality facing our city. The current five-year levy expires at the end of this fiscal year, and if we don’t renew it, we’ll see:

• Parks with overflowing trash and filthy restrooms
• Closed community centers and pools
• Eliminated free and discounted recreation programs for low-income families
• No more Free Lunch & Play summer programs, free movies, or concerts
• Deferred maintenance that will make playgrounds and facilities unsafe

The Multnomah County Democrats endorse this measure because the alternative is unacceptable. Our parks are not luxuries—they’re essential public infrastructure that every Portland family depends on.

What Your Yes Vote Will Fund

For a median homeowner, this levy costs about $26 per month (an $11 increase from the current levy). Here’s what that investment provides:

• Park ranger safety visits to keep our green spaces secure
• Daily restroom cleaning and trash pickup at every developed park
• Critical repairs to playgrounds, pools, splash pads and other facilities
• Free and discounted recreation programs for families experiencing poverty
• Summer programs including Free Lunch & Play, free movies and concerts
• Tree inspection and maintenance across all developed parks for public safety

Addressing Fiscal Accountability Concerns

We understand skepticism about this levy. Portlanders are justifiably concerned about how their tax dollars are spent, especially given today’s news highlighting past challenges with parks funding planning. These concerns are valid and deserve serious answers.

Here’s what’s different this time: The fiscally conservative Portland Metro Chamber of Commerce has endorsed this levy—and that endorsement came with strings attached.

The Chamber, which has opposed new taxes for more than five years and strongly supports Governor Kotek’s call for a tax moratorium, negotiated specific fiscal accountability commitments from the City before agreeing to endorse. These aren’t vague promises. They’re concrete, enforceable measures:

1. Dedicated Deferred Maintenance Funding
The levy allocates $0.03 per $1,000 specifically for deferred maintenance to repair bathrooms and other critical infrastructure. Additionally, 50 percent of Portland Parks & Recreation’s ending fund balance must go toward a maintenance fund. This directly addresses the maintenance backlog that has plagued the bureau.

2. Performance Metrics
Portland Parks & Recreation has committed to developing concrete performance metrics to measure progress. No more vague reports—we’ll have clear, measurable goals to hold the bureau accountable.

3. Expanding Proven Public-Private Partnerships
The levy funds a position dedicated to expanding the successful operating model that Downtown Portland Clean & Safe has piloted at Director Park. This approach has worked, and now we’re scaling it.

4. Independent Oversight
A community oversight committee will review levy expenditures, data and performance metrics, reporting annually to City Council. An independent audit is required to ensure services remain consistent with voter intent.

5. Protection for Public Safety Funding
The City committed to making no cuts to public safety funding in the 2025-2026 budget—addressing concerns that parks funding might come at the expense of police and emergency services.

The Portland Metro Chamber doesn’t endorse tax increases lightly. Their support signals that this levy includes real accountability measures that address legitimate concerns about fiscal management.

Parks are Economic Assets

It’s easy to think of parks as “nice to have” during tight budget times. But as the Portland Metro Chamber noted in their endorsement, Portland’s parks are core economic assets. They attract businesses and residents. They provide free recreation that keeps families healthy. They increase property values and make neighborhoods more desirable.

Letting our parks system collapse by half doesn’t save money—it costs us far more in lost economic vitality, public health impacts and quality of life.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t about expanding services or adding amenities. This is about maintaining what we already have—and what we risk losing if we vote no.

Every Portland family deserves clean, safe parks. Every child deserves access to summer programs and recreation. Every neighborhood deserves maintained playgrounds and pools.

The Multnomah County Democrats endorsed Measure 26-260 because the choice is clear: invest in our parks with real accountability measures in place, or watch our public spaces deteriorate and our programs disappear.

Vote Yes on Measure 26-260. Our parks, our families, and our city’s future depend on it.

Learn more about the Portland Parks Levy at portland.gov/parks/parks-levy-2025