By the time the Portland Parks & Recreation operating levy was passing on election night, District 2 Councilor Dan Ryan was the odd man out. While Ryan reluctantly voted to refer the measure to the Nov. 4 ballot with the rest of the City Council, he later had second thoughts and came out against it on Oct. 31. The 11 other councilors all endorsed it.
In a letter to constituents, Ryan said the 75% property tax rate increase was too high, considering that PP&R had long-running inefficiencies and maintenance problems that have not been addressed.
“I love our parks, but this levy asks Portlanders to pay for inefficiencies the bureau hasn’t fixed. The Parks Bureau can and should generate more of its own revenue instead of relying again on taxpayers. Until we see real institutional change, it’s not fair to keep coming back to voters for another tax increase. I’m voting no,” Ryan wrote.
Measure 26-260 was leading by a margin of 54.60% to 45.40% as of Nov. 5 all but guaranteeing its passage even though a small number of late arriving mail-in ballots remain to be counted.
Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney cheered the results. If the measure had failed, the council could have been forced to cut PP&R’s general fund support by half in the next budget. That would have prompted parks and community centers to close across the city.
“Portlanders know that our parks system is essential to our quality of life and to Portland’s future,” said Pirtle-Guiney, who represents District 2 covering North and Northeast Portland. From swim lessons and summer camps to walking trails and neighborhood greenspaces, this levy ensures every Portlander can access our incredible parks and open spaces,” said Pirtle-Guiney.
However, it was clear that even some longtime park supporters shared Ryan’s concerns. The margin of support was well below that for the expiring five-year property tax levy that Measure 26-260 replaces. The 2020 levy passed by a margin of 63.94% yes votes to 36.06% no votes, a difference of nearly 10 percentage points.
One reason was the big tax increase that the council requested. To maintain the current level of services, Measure 26-260 will increase the property tax rate by 75%, from 80 cents to $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value. An average city homeowner will pay an extra $133 a year. For commercial property owners that amount would be $188 annually. That will raise $86 million in the levy’s first year and an average of $91 million per year over the full five years.
On top of that, on Oct. 15, just as ballots were being mailed out, the City Auditor’s Office released an audit severely criticizing PP&R’s financial management. It said the bureau is facing a maintenance deficit of up to $800 million because it has historically not set enough money aside for repairs.
“Parks committed to funding the construction of new assets without identifying a funding source for its ongoing maintenance. As a result, the City added assets it cannot afford,” said the audit, which highlighted the fact that Measure 26-260 only set 3 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value aside for maintenance.
One example cited in the audit is up to $3.6 million in improvements approved for University Park, Columbia Park and the Columbia Park Annex in North Portland. They include the Charles Jordan Community Center, the primary field for the North Portland Little League Organization, a soccer and football field, playgrounds, picnic areas and more amenities. The improvements will be funded by system development charges imposed on new construction projects and did not require council approval.
“Parks committed to funding the construction of new assets without identifying a funding source for ongoing maintenance. As a result, the City added assets it cannot afford,” the audit said.
To win the election, the Portlanders for Parks political action committee put together a broad coalition of supporters. In addition to the other councilors, it included more than 150 other local leaders and organizations, including Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, the Portland Metro Chamber, the Portland Fire Fighters’ Association, the Portland Association of Teachers, UFCW Local 555, Portland for All, APANO Action Fund, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the Trust for Public Land, the Portland Parks Foundation, and Bird Alliance of Oregon.
The committee also reported raising nearly $169,000 in cash and in-kind contributions by election day. It was chaired by Jessica Green, who is also the executive director of the Portland Parks Foundation.
“With the passage of Measure 26-260, our community has once again shown how much we value the parks and public spaces that bring us together. This victory keeps our parks open, clean, and safe for everyone,” Green said.
The council still needs to adopt and fund a maintenance plan for PP&R, however. After the election, Ryan said, “Portland Parks & Recreation should be a model of innovation, maximizing earned revenue while optimizing recreation programs and maintaining the assets we already have. We owe it to everyone who loves our parks to demonstrate—visibly and measurably—that we’re improving our stewardship of these public spaces.
I’m committed to working with my Council colleagues, the Mayor’s Office and Parks leadership to advance these priorities, and I look forward to collaborating.”
In response to the audit, City Administrator Michael Jordan said the new form of government Portland voters approved in November 2020 will allow the city to overcome the lack of long-term finance planning plaguing PP&R. On Jan. 1, 2025, the five-member council that used to personally oversee city bureaus was replaced by a 12-member council with no management duties. All bureaus were placed under the city administrator.
One of the first things the new council did was call for the development of a long-term management plan for all city assets, a process that is already underway.
“With Portland’s new form of government, and recent City Council stated commitments to longer-term sustainable investment planning and implementation, I am optimistic about the future for Portland’s critical infrastructure. Our past has been challenging, including chronic insufficient levels of investment for capital maintenance, and capital investment decisions led by successive Commissioners-in-Charge,” Jordan wrote in a response letter included in the audit.