Jenny Wilson, a senior parks planner with the City of Lacey, presented details July 10 about a proposed Lacey Metropolitan Park District that would appear on the August ballot for registered city voters.

"This August, registered voters in the basic city limits can vote whether to create" the park district, Wilson said, describing the district's scope and potential projects. If approved, the metropolitan park district would use the city limits as the district boundary and would be governed by the Lacey City Council.

Wilson said the district would be authorized to levy a tax rate up to 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. As an example, she said an owner of a home with an assessed value of $500,000 would pay $225 a year (about $18.75 per month). Staff projected the levy could raise about $5.9 million a year. The district’s stated priorities include new park features and expanded maintenance for existing parks and recreation facilities.

Wilson reviewed a list of candidate projects that staff and community outreach identified, including development of additional phases at Greg Julio Park (a larger property with an initial phase under construction), expanded parking and facility improvements at the Virgil Clarkson Senior Center, playground and waterfront upgrades at Long Lake Park, additional courts and sport fields at Rainier Vista and Meridian parks, improvements at Brooks Park, a northern spray-park site, playground replacements across the system, renovations at Coleman Park picnic areas, resurfacing at Lake Point Park courts and trail repair at Wonderwood Park. Wilson said the list grew from more than 8,700 comments and survey responses gathered for the Parks, Culture and Recreation comprehensive plan.

Wilson and staff emphasized the district is meant to provide a stable, dedicated revenue stream for parks operations, maintenance and facility investments that the general fund and one-time grants do not reliably cover. The MPD would be a junior taxing district authorized under state law; City Council would set the budget and the Parks, Culture and Recreation Board would continue to provide recommendations.

Wilson described outreach and the process through which the Parks Improvement Funding Work Group recommended formation of a metropolitan park district in 2024. The committee asked staff to share information with boards and commissions ahead of the public vote, and staff said they will continue community outreach in the weeks before the ballot.

If voters approve the measure, staff said the district would fund both new facilities (spray parks, trails, fields, playgrounds and indoor play spaces) and increased ongoing maintenance — work officials said many existing features now need because of age and high use.