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Henderson planners briefed on parks master plan and 12¢ tax renewal ahead of June primary
Summary
City planners heard a master‑plan update and outreach campaign tied to a June primary ballot question to renew an existing 12¢ property‑tax override that funds parks and recreation; staff said renewal would preserve roughly $21 million in annual programming and operations and warned of broad city budget impacts if voters reject it.
Anna Smith, principal planner in long‑range planning, told the Planning Commission Wednesday that the 'Make It Possible' initiative frames the city’s parks and recreation master‑plan update and a public outreach campaign ahead of a June 9 primary election. The campaign will ask voters to renew an existing 12¢ property‑tax override dedicated to parks and recreation; early voting begins May 23.
Lisa Corrado, assistant city manager, introduced the presentation and said the effort is intended to educate residents rather than advocate for a position. Anna Smith said the override is a renewal, not a tax increase, and that it has funded parks and recreation since 1997. Smith said the override generates about $21,000,000 per year and described the system as caring for 77 parks, eight recreation centers, 105 athletic fields and roughly 300 miles of trails. She also said 85% of residents live within a 10‑minute walk of a park and that the city aims for 100% access.
Commissioners pressed staff on consequences if voters do not renew the measure. Smith said staff estimates roughly a 5% impact on the city’s general fund budget and warned that department services across the city could be affected, including maintenance of parks and trails, recreation programs, equipment repair and responsiveness of code enforcement and other city services. "If the ballot measure does not pass, every city department will be affected," Smith said, adding that property taxes currently dedicated to parks would be redistributed to other agencies and Henderson would lose direct control over how those dollars are spent.
The presentation outlined outreach tools and a campaign website (wemakeitpossible.org) and invited community groups to request speakers. Smith emphasized that the campaign will provide facts to help voters make an informed choice at the ballot box.
The commission did not take any formal action on the presentation; staff framed it as an informational briefing and noted the timeline for the ballot and outreach.
