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Seattle Park District Annual Report: Your Tax Dollars at Work

A summer art program for children. A fresh coat of paint in the community center teen room.  A smoother bike ride along the Burke-Gilman Trail. A new play area in your neighborhood park.

These are a few of the scores of improvements funded by the Seattle Park District in 2016. A new annual report, Seattle Park District: 2016 Report to the Community, provides highlights of last year’s activities and a comprehensive list of accomplishments in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Approved in by Seattle voters in August 2014, the Seattle Park District collects property taxes to fund a wide range of projects and programs, focusing initially on addressing a $267 million backlog of maintenance needs in our parks and recreation system. These are projects that the public may not see but are critically needed for parks and buildings to function, projects such as new roofs, plumbing and irrigation systems.

Among the 2016 achievements:

  • 100 acres of urban forest were restored.
  • Preventive maintenance involving work by a night crew of painters, electricians, plumbers and carpenters was completed at 20 facilities.
  • An off-leash enforcement team issued more than 450 citations to dog owners for violations of the leash, license and scoop laws.
  • 14 community-based Get Moving programs provided more than 600 hours of physical activity programming.
  • More than 3,000 scholarships totaling $425,000 were provided to qualifying families for our recreation programs and activities.