Metropolitan Park District

What is a Metropolitan Park District (MPD)?

A MPD is a junior property taxing district with special taxing authority for the management, control, improvement, maintenance, and acquisition of parks, pathways, boulevards, recreational facilities, programs, and services.

How much will this cost?

The Longview Metropolitan Park District Board set the tax rate at 25 cents per $1,000 assessed property value.  Current projections have targeted revenues for investment back into the park system at $1.2 million annually at 2023 assessed values.

How will MPD revenue be collected?

The MPD tax would be a component of property owners’ annual City of Longview property tax assessment administered by Cowlitz County.

What area is included within the MPD?

The Longview MPD would include the entire area within the municipal boundaries of the City of Longview as they currently exist as well as they may exist as the result of future annexations.

Who pays this tax?

Property owners within the boundaries of the City of Longview would pay this tax.

Would this tax expire?

The tax does not expire.

How can an MPD be dissolved?

A district may be dissolved by a majority vote of its board members. Upon dissolution, the district's liabilities are prorated, and turned over to the city it was respectively located in each, when:

• Such city and/or county, through its governing officials, agrees to, and petitions for, such dissolution and the assumption of such assets and liabilities, or;
• Ten percent of the voters of such city and/or county who voted at the last general election petition the governing officials for such a vote. (RCW 35.61.310)
• Disincorporation of district located in county with a population of 210,000 or more and inactive for five years, see Chapter 57.90 RCW.

Who governs the Longview MPD?

The MPD would be governed by the Longview Metropolitan Park District Board consisting of the Longview City Council.

When will the tax go into effect?

The tax would appear on tax bills beginning in 2024.

Can MPD funds be used for other City of Longview needs?

No, by state law, MPD funds can only be utilized for parks and recreation-related facilities, programs, and services.

How will MPD revenue be spent?

MPD funds would be spent on deferred maintenance, park renovation, restroom facilities, playground replacement, trails/sidewalks, and recreational programs and facilities as outlined in the Parks and Recreation Plan or annual capital and operating budgets approved by City Council.

Who determines what the MPD revenue will be spent on?

The City Council, in its role as the Longview Metropolitan Park District Board, would approve the MPD budget.

Maintain, Improve, and Build

Citizens will have the opportunity to vote on the November 7, 2023 General Election, on Proposition 1 which authorizes the formation of a Metropolitan Park District that will collect property tax to maintain, improve, and build parks, trails and recreation programs. While a legally separate entity, the District will have the same boundaries as the City and be governed by the City Council.

Explanatory Statement:

The Longview City Council passed Resolution No. 2455 to allow voters to decide whether to create the City of Longview Metropolitan Park District with boundaries coterminous with the City of Longview, as now or hereafter established. If approved, this proposition would create a metropolitan park district with all the powers provided in chapter 35.61 RCW, including, but not limited to, the authority to levy a general tax on all property located in the District each year not to exceed twenty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation.

The District would be governed by the Longview City Council as the ex officio board of commissioners to support parks and recreation programs. This proposition provides that the City would maintain its current general fund support of the Longview Park and Recreation Department and that the Metropolitan Park District would pay the City to increase support to the Park System. The District would pay for this increased support by imposing a property tax that would be $0.25 per thousand dollars of assessed value or $87.75 per year for an average home with a value of $351,000. The money would be used to pay the City to improve and maintain City parks, address deferred maintenance and project backlog, replace park restrooms and picnic shelters, improve park safety and lighting, facility and park amenity repair, sports field and court improvements, repair boating facility infrastructure, and support other Parks programs.

Proposition No. 1 will fund priorities including;

• Playground parts and replacements;

  Cloney Park
  Windemere Park
  Mark Hoehne Park
  Elks Memorial Park (Pirate Ship Park)

• Public park restroom facility renovation and replacement;

  John Null Restroom
  Archie Anderson Restroom
  Lake Sacajawea Restroom

• Picnic shelter repair and replacement; 

  Victoria Freeman Park
  Windemere Park

• Infrastructure repair and replacement;

  Lake Sacajawea Irrigation Pump
  HVAC systems at McClelland Center and Elks Teen Center

• Sport field and court repair and renovation; 

  Light pole removal and replacement at Roy Morse
  Resurface the tennis courts a Rotary Park

• Trail and sidewalk improvement;

  Gravel added to Altrusa Park Trail and Lake Sacajawea
  Sidewalk repair throughout park system

With funding from a Metropolitan Park District, the City could spend $1.4 million annually for our parks, playgrounds, and trails to make annual improvements or go for a multi-year bond to many projects all at once.

Why Parks?  Why Now?

The City has invested in parks, trails, and open spaces over the years, but there are no dedicated revenue sources to maintain and improve those properties.

Over the years, City Council and staff have taken a number of cost-savings actions to streamline and increase operational efficiency as revenues have declined for parks and recreation programs and facilities.

The City's general fund cannot support the ongoing costs of operation, maintenance of park lands, recreational facilities and staffing at a level which will meet the growing needs and desires of the our residents.

How Did We Get Here?

In 2016 the Longview Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan identified a lack of dedicated and sustainable funding for park facilities and recreation programs. At that time there was discussion about identifying additional funding sources, but there were other priorities for which the City supported, such as public safety and street maintenance.

In 2023, the Longview Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan began being updated, and the department worked with a stakeholder group to study and make a recommendation that would provide an adequate funding source for park facilities and recreation programs. The department conducted a community-wide survey and studied the results, hosted a community forum about the needs of the park system, and then the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended the creation of a Metropolitan Park District to the City Council.

In 2023, Longview City Council unanimously voted to include the Metropolitan Park District measure on the November 7 General Election ballot to provide dedicated sustainable funding to maintain, improve and build park facilities and recreation programs.

• Metropolitan Park District Cowlitz County Voter Pamphlet

• Metropolitan Park District Flyer
  

• Longview City Council Resolution

• Playground Replacement Plan

• Facility and Parks Deferred Maintenance List

Contact Us

If you have additional questions or need more information about the Metropolitan Park District, contact Jennifer Wills at rec@mylongview.com or at (360) 442-5400.

Summary

The City of Longview operates a Parks and Recreation system that Includes 300 acres of parks and various recreation programs. While the present budget for this department provides money for basic Maintenance and operations, there is no money for capital improvements or replacement of facilities that have reached the end of life. This will all change with a for vote for the creation of a Metropolitan Parks District.

How the money will be spent:

The money raised will be used to replace aging bathroom facilities, Develop new trails, and make sorely needed repairs. The proposal is structured so that the money must be used for capital improvements and not for general operating expenses.

Grant qualification:

The money raised by the District can be used as matching funds for various State and organizational grants. Most of these grants require a 50% match So we can use District money to complete even more projects in our parks system. Right now we can’t capitalize on these grants because we cannot come up with our 50% share of the money needed to qualify for the grant.

Your cost and benefits:

The cost to the homeowner would be 25 cents per $1000 of assessed valuation. This means less than $88 per year for a home valued at $351,000. We hope That you agree with us that this is an investment in our city that is worthy of your support. We ask you to vote for on this issue.

Rebuttal of Argument Against:

Without a Parks District the city will be unable to meet our expectations for well-maintained, clean, safe, and enjoyable parks and park facilities. Voting yes for a Parks District grants the City no new additional authority except for the ability to collect 25 cents per $1,000 valuation for the purpose of supporting the parks we all enjoy.

There’s a plan to catch up on deferred maintenance and repairs. A yes vote is for better parks.

Forming a Metropolitan Park district is complicated, be informed!

Once voters approve the formation of the park district, that is where their input ends.

City Council has decided to make themselves the managing directors of the park district. This gives them the authority to annex property, reroute roads, and spend taxed funds as they see fit, all without voter oversight.

If the citizens of Longview decide that the park district is not working for them, only city council can remove it.

The city is proposing a forever tax of 50 cents per $1000 of property value which can be raised by 25 cents per year, at the council’s whim.

Without a doubt, this is a continual tax increase. Is this what is best for Longview? A vote “No” keeps more money in the hands of Longview citizens.

Rebuttal of Argument For: 

None submitted.