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Mayor Romero and residents urge Henderson voters to back parks funding in primary
Summary
At the June 2 Henderson City Council meeting, Mayor Romero and residents urged approval of ballot question 1, stressing that it continues an existing parks funding source that supports maintenance, recreation programs and senior services; business and union leaders also voiced support for the measure ahead of the June primary.
Mayor Romero urged Henderson voters to approve ballot question 1 during the June 2 City Council meeting, saying the measure preserves existing parks funding that supports maintenance, sports programming and services for seniors. "That is the equivalent if that goes away to the same downturn that we had in 2009," the mayor said, warning the loss would mean a roughly 5% hit to the city’s general fund and cuts across programming.
The measure, which city staff say continues funding first approved by voters in 1997, is not a new tax, officials and supporters emphasized. The city manager reminded residents that early voting runs through June 5 and that election day is June 9. "This is not a new tax," Emily Osterberg of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce said, adding that parks amenities contribute to economic development: "Over the past 2 years, Henderson has hosted almost 5,000 sports tournaments generating approximately a $108,000,000 in economic impact." (Emily Osterberg, Henderson Chamber of Commerce.)
Supporters at the meeting described how parks services underpin other city priorities. Mayor Romero listed parks assets and programs — "77 parks ... 105 ball fields ... 300 miles of trails ... 8 recreation centers" — and highlighted services such as Meals on Wheels, which he said serves just under 250,000 meals a year, and swim lessons that help prevent drownings. Public commenters reiterated the community benefits: Janine Maynard, president of the Senior Auxiliary at Heritage Senior Facility, described the facility’s daily programming and urged continued funding for senior services. "It's an important part of the senior life," she said.
Not all remarks were limited to ballot logistics. A council member made a public defense of parks staff after what the council member described as rumors and accusations; the official described parks and recreation as a workforce-development pipeline and emphasized personal ties to the department.
The council did not take a vote on the measure itself; the decision goes to Henderson voters in the primary election. City staff said they have information available in the lobby for residents seeking details about the ballot question and services.
Next steps: early voting continues through June 5; primary election day is June 9.
