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Issaquah council backs parks renewal bond after public hearing on turf at schools
Summary
The Issaquah City Council voted 6–1 on Aug. 3 to support a parks renewal bond on the Nov. 3 ballot that would keep the levy at $0.08 per $1,000 of assessed value and fund prioritized park and trail projects, including athletic turf at three elementary schools. Public comment split over artificial turf’s environmental impacts.
Issaquah councilmembers voted 6–1 on Aug. 3 to approve a resolution supporting a parks and open‑space bond that would maintain the levy rate at $0.08 per $1,000 of assessed value and generate an estimated $18,000,000 in bonding capacity, to be combined with grants and other revenue for roughly $24,000,000 of park and trail investments.
Parks and Community Services Director Jeff Watling told the council the package would fund projects prioritized in the city’s 2024 park system plan, including turf athletic fields at three elementary schools, two new trail corridors, Harvey Manning memorial trailhead improvements, Confluence Park restoration and an inclusive playground at Tibbets Valley Park. Watling said the proposal is a renewal of bonds that are retiring this year and would “maintain the current levy rate.”
The public hearing drew mixed reaction. Jonathan Smith, a 33‑year Issaquah resident, urged the council to remove artificial turf from the bond, saying it harms habitat and can contribute to hotter surface temperatures and microplastic runoff: “I’d like to present opposition to the plan to install artificial turf sports fields at 3 Issaquah elementary schools,” he said. Other commenters, including Donovan Richards and Jeff Newell, urged council support. Richards framed the bond as a renewal and community covenant, saying the rate “stays where it has been”; Newell highlighted the practical benefit of turf for playability and reduced weather cancellations.
Council discussion focused on community input and priorities; several members noted the unusually large volume of emails for and against the measure. Council President Martz moved to approve the resolution; the motion passed 6–1. The council’s vote was to support placing the renewal bond—Proposition 1—on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot; it is not an authorization to spend but a request that voters decide.
Next steps: the council vote directs staff to move forward with ballot placement and continued community engagement; the bond measure’s final project list and financing will be part of materials presented to voters and incorporated into future budget actions if approved.
