Almanac
February 4, 2004
 
New funding source sought for county parks
Supervisors want to form park district to raise funds

By Marion Softky

San Mateo County's struggling system of parks and trails may get a needed boost if a measure launched by the county Board of Supervisors January 27 is successful.

Following a dismal budget report by County Manager John Maltbie, the board asked for state legislation to allow for the formation of a countywide special park district. If approved by county voters, such a district could coordinate park and recreation activities within the county and its cities, and -- more important -- could raise more money to maintain and improve county and city parks.

Calling the move "a small light in a gloomy budget," Lennie Roberts of the Committee for Green Foothills said, "We hope the legislation will give us something to put before the voters."

San Mateo County is one of only two counties in the 9-county San Francisco Bay Area that does not have a source of funds dedicated to acquiring, developing and maintaining park and recreation facilities, Mr. Maltbie reported. And because parks are not essential, they are one of the few areas that can be cut during budget downturns.

In the last two years, the budget for operations and maintenance of the county's 16 parks has been cut by 32 percent, Mr. Maltbie said. And more cuts seem probable as the county faces a $79 million shortfall next year. The county staff estimates that the county's 16 parks also need $78 million in capital improvements, with no money in sight.

Most of the county's 20 cities also have park needs but no money to meet them, Mr. Maltbie noted. The proposed district could serve them as well.

The proposed district would be different from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Mr. Maltbie said. The park district would focus on more traditional recreational uses, while the district preserves open space and agriculture in the south county, and possibly the Coastside.

Linda Liebes of Atherton, one of the dedicated park supporters who have been working for 12 years to gain specific funding for parks, hailed the board's action. "This won't solve all our problems, but it's a modest step in the right direction," she said.

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