Lacey outlines Metropolitan Park District proposal: up to $0.45 per $1,000 assessed value, estimated $5.9 million annually

Jenny Wilson, parks planner in Lacey's Parks, Culture and Recreation Department, presented details of a proposed Metropolitan Park District (MPD) that would appear on the August ballot as Proposition 1 and, if approved by city voters, provide ongoing dedicated funding for parks and recreation.

"MPD provides ongoing dedicated funding for new park features that may otherwise take longer to complete or may not occur," Wilson told commissioners, describing the district as a junior taxing district authorized by state law and restricted to the city limits of Lacey.

Wilson said the proposition would authorize a tax rate capped at 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value and that, at that maximum rate, the district would generate an estimated $5.9 million annually for park projects, maintenance and programs. As an example of the homeowner impact, she said a property with a $500,000 assessed value would pay about $225 per year, or…