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Trust for Public Land recommends polling for five‑year levy to avert North Clackamas parks’ fiscal cliff
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Summary
North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District staff and the Trust for Public Land presented a feasibility study recommending a five‑year local option levy to fund operations and avert a forecasted fiscal cliff in 2031–32; board members urged quick polling, careful messaging and community engagement before any ballot measure.
Kia Celi, director of the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District, told the Clackamas County board on April 21 that NCPRD’s permanent tax rate of 54 cents per $1,000 of assessed value — the lowest among comparable districts — has not increased since 1990 and leaves the district facing a “fiscal cliff” in fiscal year 2031–32 that could force facility or amenity closures.
Nathan Henry, Western Conservation Finance Director for the Trust for Public Land, summarized the phase‑one feasibility study and said his team evaluated three funding options: a five‑year local option levy, general obligation bonds, and a permanent tax rate increase. “Among these three options, the local option levy most directly meets the current financial challenges faced by the district by providing funding that could be used to support park operations,” Henry said, noting levies are time‑limited and include auditing and reporting requirements that increase accountability.
The study found bonds would only fund capital projects and would not meet the district’s immediate operational needs. Henry and NCPRD staff also said a permanent tax rate increase would require reforming the district and electing a new board — a more complex path that failed in 2014.
Board members pressed staff on timing and political risk. Henry said the next step should be a community preference survey — paid for and conducted by TPL without charge to the district — to test likely November 2026 voters on proposed ballot language and tax levels, and to measure how support changes as voters receive more information. “We would recommend an expeditious timeline,” Henry said, adding poll questions are being drafted and could be fielded within days to weeks depending on board direction.
Commissioners said they want the polling to test whether opposition in particular municipalities would depress support in parts of the district and advised staff to incorporate community engagement before moving to a ballot measure. Kia Celi said staff will share polling highlights with the NCPRD district advisory committee and expects to bring feedback to the board in June so the board can decide whether to proceed to measure development.
The board did not take a vote on funding measures at the April 21 meeting; the presentation was an informational briefing and staff will return with polling results and recommended next steps if the survey shows sufficient support.
