(The Center Square) – Half of King County Executive Shannon Braddock’s newly-announced Parks Levy awards go to pool maintenance and upgrades.
On Thursday, Braddock revealed a proposed allocation of $31 million in King County Parks Levy grant funding for 56 community-led projects. Approximately $16 million goes public pools.
“Demand for access to swimming pools is higher than ever, and King County is leading the way in making investments to respond to that demand,” King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski said in a statement.
The King County Parks Levy generates about 85% of the King County Parks Department budget, but it is set to expire at the end of the year. A median King County homeowner pays about $194 per year toward the levy.
Since the current Parks Levy was approved in August 2019, it has generated $88.6 million toward community grants. The proposed $31 million represents 35% of that revenue.
Ten aquatic facility projects would be receiving shares of the $16 million in grant funding, if the county council approves Braddock’s proposal. This includes city and school-operated aquatic centers in Tukwila, Seattle, White Center, Kirkland, Bellevue, Covington, Enumclaw, Des Moines and Vashon.
Tukwila is receiving the largest share of grant funding with $5 million for its pool renovation and expansion. According to a memorandum, improvements on “the popular and heavily used” 52-year-old Tukwila aquatic facility include upgraded plumbing and electrical equipment, additional warm-water pool, expanded pool and diving well, new locker rooms, and multipurpose rooms for events and education.
“This $5 million Aquatics Facilities Grant will be transformative, providing a safer, more modern, and inclusive public facility for Tukwila and the surrounding South Seattle communities,” Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District Executive Director Bradley Harpin said.
The remaining $15 million as part of Braddock’s proposal would go toward the preservation of river corridors, increasing outdoor recreation and enhancing parks and trails.
Next month, King County voters will decide on the Parks Levy renewal that has a tax rate of 23.29 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, with total projected revenue of about $1.45 billion over six years.
