The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) is asking property owners for more money, warning that a budget shortfall could result in facility closures and a reduction in services. Voters will decide in the May 21 election whether to approve or deny a five-year levy that would implement a five-year levy bringing an estimated $81.3 million to the district’s budget.
If passed, the levy would tax homeowners in the district $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, amounting to about $152 per year for the average homeowner, according to the parks district. Current property taxes already fund the district’s operations, but it said its costs have increased more quickly than current tax levels can pay for, especially since 2020.
The proposed levy, which would bring in $15 million to $17 million per year, would almost entirely be used to maintain the current level of services, as opposed to providing increased services, district spokesperson Holly Thompson said. Thompson said the levy is “not something people are super excited about,” but noted residents in public hearings have ultimately been vocal about their support for the parks district.
“At a really meaningful level people speak from the heart about how much parks and recreation experiences mean to their lives,” Thompson said. “People love, love, love this district.”
If the levy fails, the district said it will be forced to close multiple facilities, including at least three pools and two splash pads, as well as many restrooms. Park services, like garbage collection and routine maintenance, would also need to be reduced to once or twice a month, the district said, while preschool, afterschool and mobile recreation programs would be discontinued altogether.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking,” Thompson said. “It would really be a setback in our ability to serve people and be able to meet them where they’re at.”
Thompson said the closures and cancellations would not happen immediately, but gradually over the course of five years. She added that the parks district has not made any decisions on which specific facilities would be closed and wouldn’t decide until after it knows the results of the election.
The measure was crafted following recommendations from a 13-member task force, which met last fall to determine whether a local option levy was the best path forward. In January, following recommendations from the task force, the park district board sending the levy to voters in May.
Margaret Robinson, a lifelong Beaverton resident who served on the task force, said the group came into the process with healthy skepticism, but ended up unanimously supporting the levy after reviewing district data and discussing the budget shortfall at length.
Now a staunch advocate for the measure, Robinson said she has been working to present those same facts to skeptical friends and neighbors in hopes that they too will get behind the levy. She said she has seen some opposition to the measure, especially on her Nextdoor social media feed, as people decrying a higher tax rate argue with neighbors who cite the benefits of the parks services.
Robinson said she feels it’s important to let people know what’s at stake.
“The programs and services of the recreation district have a huge impact on the people living within the district,” from preschool through senior care, Robinson said. “It will be devastating if we have to make cuts.”
The Beaverton Education Association and the district’s board of directors list arguments in favor of the measure. It does not list any arguments in opposition. Campaign finance records don’t show any spending by groups supporting or opposing the measure.
The parks district serves about 270,000 people in Beaverton and unincorporated Washington County, where it manages 117 parks, some 70 miles of trails and 162 natural areas. Aside from recreational opportunities, the district offers classes, community events and child care services. A diverse offering of community events take place at district facilities. On the days before the election, those facilities will host a cultural celebration with the Oregon Chinese Coalition, a swim class taught in Spanish, a native plant garden work party and a taekwondo tournament.
Hongcheng Zhao, president of the Oregon Chinese Coalition, said he hasn’t given much thought to the measure, spending his time preparing for his organization’s Cultural Night. But after hearing more about the proposed levy, he said he would support it.
“It’s all about the long-term investment,” Zhao said. “As taxpayers you look at the deal, I know (the measure) is not happy, but directly, indirectly they benefit, everyone benefits from that.”
He said his organization has benefitted from its relationship with the parks district, which continues to provide spaces for the Chinese American community to gather and share their cultural traditions with their neighbors.
“It’s meaningful for a diverse community,” Zhao said. “In the long haul, the benefits weigh more than the costs.”