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Kent council authorizes letter urging changes to proposed $1.5 billion King County parks levy
Summary
After a presentation from Kent Parks Director Julie Paris Godola outlining concerns about fairness, transparency and limited direct investment in Kent, the City Council voted 7-0 to authorize a letter to King County urging a more equitable distribution if the 2026–2031 parks levy is placed on the ballot.
Kent City Council voted unanimously March 18 to authorize Council President Pro Tem to sign a letter urging King County to revise its proposed 2026–2031 parks levy so that funds are distributed more equitably to cities such as Kent.
Parks Director Julie Paris Godola told the council the draft levy — which she said would raise $1.5 billion countywide if approved — falls short on transparency, coordination with cities and direct investment in Kent. Godola said the county’s stakeholder process left municipalities’ concerns unaddressed when the levy was released publicly in February.
Godola said the levy’s presentation materials make apples-to-oranges comparisons across levy rounds and that Kent received little in direct capital investment despite contributing to the…
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