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Covington staff outlines parks-and-recreation district plan; initial levy proposed at 37¢ per $1,000
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Summary
City staff presented a plan to place a Covington Parks & Recreation District on the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot with an initial property tax of 37¢ per $1,000 assessed value to fund maintenance, planning for a community wellness center, and a six-year capital plan backed by a 20-year bond.
City staff presented details March 10 on a proposal to form a Covington Parks & Recreation District and asked the City Council for direction to place the measure on the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot.
Ethan Newton, staff lead on the proposal, said the district would use the same boundaries as the city and that the initial property tax "will be 37¢ per thousand of assessed value," roughly half of the 75¢ statutory cap. Newton told the council the rate was chosen to match the capital projects and operating priorities laid out in the plan.
Newton said the district would provide steady funding for park maintenance and improvements, noting the initial operating budget would fund the equivalent of about two full-time park-maintenance positions and a roughly 10% increase in the existing parks maintenance budget. He described a planning line item of $200,000 to advance work on a future whole-health community center, including an aquatic center, but cautioned that forming the district alone "is not sufficient on its own to build this facility." Instead, he said, the planning funds would support master planning and funding strategy development ahead of any future vote on construction financing.
On capital projects, Newton outlined a six-year capital improvement plan tied to a 20-year general-obligation bond program. He listed projects and preliminary price estimates including: Covington Community Park sports-field improvements ($4,600,000), Jenkins Creek Park improvements ($3,100,000), Jenkins Creek Trail segment ($3,400,000), and Founders Park improvements ($3,000,000). Newton said non-MPD sources could reduce the bond need and that "$2,000,000 of non-MPD funds have already been secured" to lower the estimated 20-year bond requirement to about $12.1 million.
Council members asked about how the initial levy would be described in ballot materials and whether future councils could increase the rate. Newton and legal counsel said the council could include a 0.37¢ initial-rate figure in the ballot explanatory materials but could not bind future councils; the statutory maximum would remain 75¢ per $1,000.
The staff presentation closed with a request that the council direct staff to prepare a resolution for an April meeting; Newton said he would return with the formal resolution and materials for the ballot process.
Next steps: staff will draft a resolution for council consideration in April and prepare voter information materials ahead of the August 4, 2026 election.
