Spokane Park Board adopts levy resolution, asks city council to place 27¢ per $1,000 measure on November ballot

The Spokane Park Board voted unanimously April 16 to adopt an updated Healthy Parks Healthy Neighborhoods levy program and to recommend that City Council place a multi-year parks levy on the November 2025 ballot.

The board’s action asks City Council to place a levy at 27¢ per $1,000 of assessed property value for 20 years; staff estimated that rate would cost a median-valued home about $89 per year. Garrett Jones, presenting the levy package, described the measure as the updated “levy guide” the board previously reviewed and discussed.

Jones said the changes since the board last considered the program include increased funding for Merkle maintenance staff, more park rangers and equipment distributed across districts, increased vandalism and graffiti abatement capacity, reduced construction funding for Quelton Hills Park tied to a school partnership, removal of three fields from the parks scope because those capital costs would be absorbed by the Spokane Public Schools bond effort, and addition of three lighted infield projects for city baseball/softball fields. “We are here today to adopt and vote on the updated Healthy Parks Healthy Neighborhood Grama document, the levy guide,” Jones said.

The adopted levy program keeps the same overall allocation…