(The Center Square) – It’s now up to Kirkland voters to decide on a permanent levy increase to expand the city’s aquatics, parks, and recreation facilities and programs following the city council’s approval of the ballot measure.
If approved by voters, the city’s regular property tax levy would increase by approximately 28 cents to a rate of $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That is expected to generate $10.8 million in 2024.
The owners of a median-valued home estimated at $1 million would pay about $280 a year, or a little over $23 a month, according to the city.
King County Assessor John Wilson previously stated in a June press release that Kirkland’s median residential property values fell by 17.2% between 2022 and 2023. Kirkland staff reached out to the county assessor’s office to determine how much of the city has been assessed.
With increased revenues, Kirkland parks would make overall improvements to parks and recreation operations and maintenance. This includes additional park rangers and automatic gates for improved safety and security with levy dollars, new pickleball and volleyball courts installed at the parks, increased beach lifeguard hours, and expanded teen programs, according to the city. Nine restrooms would also be installed in the city’s parks.
The levy funds would also go towards the city’s plan to construct a new 86,000-square-foot aquatic and recreation center at the former Houghton Park and Ride that closed in March due to low utilization. The facility would include indoor pools to help address the documented waitlist for swim lessons, which totaled over 10,500 in 2022, according to the city.
The Kirkland City Manager convened a Parks Funding Exploratory Committee that met from September 2022 through March 2023. The committee included 45 community members who studied residents’ needs and priorities.
The Parks Funding Exploratory Committee’s initial report from March 2023 recommended that the ballot measure should have at least six priority elements, all of which are included in the newly approved ballot measure.
“After months of deliberation, the city council has acted on [the Parks Funding Exploratory Committee’s recommendations] and has placed before Kirkland voters a comprehensive measure to expand aquatics, parks, and recreation facilities, operations, and programs in November,” Kirkland Councilmember Kelli Curtis said in a statement.
Kirkland voters will decide on the parks expansion levy lid lift on election day, Nov. 7.
