Lacey work group recommends metropolitan park district, council weighs levy, project priorities

Lacey — The Parks Improvement Funding Work Group recommended that the City Council pursue a Metropolitan Park District (MPD) funded initially by a 45¢ per $1,000 assessed-value levy to provide predictable, dedicated funding for parks maintenance, operations and capital projects, staff told the council at a Jan. 14 work session.

The recommendation, presented by Parks staff, would generate roughly $5.9 million a year under current assessed values, the work group said. The group advised allocating about 40% of MPD revenue for maintenance and operations and 60% for new capital projects, and it suggested a phased increase over time to protect revenues from inflation.

Why it matters: Lacey’s parks budget and capital needs have outpaced current general-fund and user-fee revenue, staff said. The work group prioritized projects and funding so the city could fund several major projects within about five years without issuing debt if the levy passed, and provide stable money for ongoing repairs and high‑use facilities.

City staff summarized the city’s current parks funding and needs, noting roughly $7.6 million in parks, culture and recreation operating expenses and a parks capital-improvement program (PCIP) with roughly $72 million in new and…