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San Jose weighs parcel tax and soda tax options as parks staffing and equity gaps grow
Summary
PRNS presented a two‑year parks master plan to address inequitable distribution of park impact fees and outlined polling on funding options: a 2¢/ounce sugar‑sweetened beverage tax could raise ~ $27M/year while a 1¢ per‑square‑foot parcel tax could raise roughly $37M/year; staff will engage neighborhoods and return with recommendations.
City parks staff told the Neighborhood Services & Education Committee they are preparing a two‑year master plan to correct long‑standing inequities created by a developer‑fee allocation model and to explore dedicated funding for park maintenance.
PRNS described a staffing shortfall for maintenance (about 19% fewer staff while acreage rose 22%) and noted that San Jose ranks low among the 15 most populous California cities by per‑resident park maintenance spending ($37 per…
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