Lacey asks voters Aug. 5 to create Metropolitan Park District to fund parks, trails and maintenance

Jen Burbage, director of parks, culture and recreation for the city of Lacey, told a public meeting that registered voters in the city limits will decide on Aug. 5 whether to create a Metropolitan Park District that would provide ongoing funding to maintain, operate and improve parks, trails and recreational facilities. "An MPD provides ongoing, dedicated funding for new park features that may otherwise take longer to complete or may not occur," Burbage said.

The measure, Proposition 1 on the Aug. 5 ballot, would establish MPD boundaries as the Lacey city limits, place governance with the Lacey City Council acting as the MPD board, and authorize a property tax rate up to 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Burbage said the city estimates the MPD would generate about $5,900,000 per year and that the levy is intended to "supplement, not replace, existing parks and recreation funds." The presentation included an example that an owner with a $500,000 assessed value would pay about $225 per year under the maximum rate.

Why it matters: Burbage said the parks department — which she described as a roughly $10.4 million annual operating program with about 40 full-time staff — manages more than 1,200 acres of park property, 59% of which is undeveloped or partially developed, plus 22 developed parks and four trails. The MPD is presented as a stable, dedicated funding source for both new facilities and for ongoing maintenance needs that the city’s general fund and prior bond measures do not cover.

Project priorities outlined in the presentation include the first phase of a large park in North Lacey now under construction (described as about 139 acres of a 537-acre site) featuring an inclusive playground, picnic shelter, roughly 2 miles of trails, an 18‑hole disc golf course and parking; improvements to the Virgil S. Clarkson Senior Center to address overcrowding and parking access; small-site upgrades such as a playground at Brooks Park; waterfront and erosion work at Long Lake Park; an updated master plan and expanded access at Wanchers Park; and new amenities at Rainier Vista Park and Meridian Park, including courts, spray parks and a multipurpose sports field. Burbage said the department identified four potential spray park sites systemwide and hopes to partner with North Thurston Public Schools on an indoor playground and spray park at the Young Child and Family Center site.

Burbage described maintenance needs that an MPD could fund: playground replacements (she noted Rainier Vista Playground is 21 years old), resurfacing of tennis and basketball courts at Lake Pointe Park, repairs to trail segments at Wonderwood Park, and renovation of a picnic area and oversized trees at Hohman Park. She said the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) is the system’s most visited facility, generates more than $15 million in local economic impact annually, and that its playgrounds — among the system’s most heavily used — are deteriorating and likely due for replacement in the coming years.

Budget and process details provided during the presentation included that current parks funding comes primarily from the city general fund, program and rental fees, a Public Facilities District (PFD) portion of state sales tax for the RAC, and lodging tax revenue for facilities such as the Lacey Museum and special events. Burbage said the city undertook extensive outreach for the Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation Comprehensive Plan and collected over 8,700 community comments and survey responses; a 15‑member parks improvement funding work group subsequently recommended pursuing an MPD. She also noted a parks bond approved by voters roughly 23 years ago funded prior improvements (nearly $10 million) and that portions of that bond debt were retired in 2023 with additional retirements scheduled in 2026, leaving the city with limited dedicated maintenance funding from past bonds.

Discussion versus decision: The presentation was informational; no formal council action or vote on creating the MPD was recorded at the meeting. Burbage said final authority to adopt the MPD budget would rest with the Lacey City Council if voters approve the district. The proposed MPD and any tax levy require voter approval on Aug. 5.

For more information, Burbage directed audience members to cityoflacey.org/mpd and to a phone number listed on the city website for questions.