City staff outline Metropolitan Parks District proposal, estimate $6 million a year at 45¢ per $1,000 assessed value

Scott Ager, the City of Lacey public works director, briefed the Planning Commission on June 25 about a proposed Metropolitan Parks District (MPD) that the City Council has placed on the August 5 ballot for voters to consider.

Ager said the MPD would be a junior taxing district whose boundaries follow the city limits and that the council would act as the district’s governing body if voters approve. The proposal on the ballot would set a maximum levy of up to $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value; Ager and staff estimated that a levy at that level would generate roughly $6,000,000 per year based on 2024 assessed values. Ager gave an example: a property with a $500,000 assessed value would pay about $225 per year at a 45¢ rate.

Ager described current parks funding and needs. He said the parks and recreation operating budget is about $10.4 million annually, roughly split between recreation programs and parks maintenance; about 74% of current parks funding comes from the city’s general fund…