Dear Friends of Burlington Parks,

Welcome to the Penny for Parks site. The Parks & Rec Commission and the Friends of Burlington Parks are asking Burlington voters to approve a one cent dedicated tax for Parks capital projects. The estimated $355,000 per year will help maintain our wonderful neighborhood parks, bike path, community gardens, tennis courts, ice arena, skatepark, waterfront park, beaches and more. Please get involved in one of ways below.

Thank you!
Steve Allen, Burlington Parks & Recreation Commission, Chair

FOUR WAYS TO HELP

1) Email your friends and ask for their support.

2) Post a message of support on Front Porch Forum

3) Request a lawn sign from us (stphnallen@aol.com)

4) Donate! Send checks to "Friends of Burlington Parks", c/o Treasurer Dave Hartnett, 27 Browe Court, Burlington, VT 05408.

Six Great Reasons To Support a Penny for Parks on November 4:

1) PENNY FOR PARKS IS AN ECONOMIC INVESTMENT that will provide a financial return to the City. Parks & Rec generates over $3,000,000 in revenue for Burlington. Penny for Parks will protect the assets which generate this income.

2) SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF OUR RESOURCES. A one penny tax will generate $355,000 annually in critically needed support for parks. The cost to a typical homeowner will be around $25 year.

3) THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT WISELY. It will be used to pay for necessary repairs and capital improvements to our parks and recreational facilities.

4) PENNY FOR PARKS IS A SOCIAL INVESTMENT that will maintain a high quality of life, provide healthful recreational facilities and keep services affordable to Burlington residents.

5) PROTECT OUR BEAUTIFUL RESOURCES: the waterfront, the bike path, our beaches, neighborhood parks and athletic fields, the community gardens.

6) KEEP BURLINGTON ONE OF THE "MOST LIVABLE" CITIES in the world.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

A few more examples ...




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A Penny for Parks - The Best Value in Burlington


Burlington is a special place. We are blessed with a unique set of cultural and physical assets that support the high quality of life that we enjoy. No small part of the character and “livability” of Burlington is dependent on its unmatched scope of parks and recreational assets. Every Burlington resident is touched by the benefit of these resources, whether it is family fun or youth sports at our parks and playgrounds, enjoying the waterfront, riding or walking the bike path, boating, swimming at our beaches, year round skating or growing food and making friends at our community gardens.


On November 4th, Burlington voters will be asked to consider a modest request for financial support for our treasured park resources, dedicating one penny of the tax rate to support parks ... a Penny for Parks. This small, targeted investment will provide the stability and security necessary to maintain the quality of our parks for years, and generations, to come.


The Penny for Parks proposal would generate $355,000 per year specifically to support parks, at a cost of about $ 25 per year for a typical Burlington homeowner. The money will be spent wisely. It will be used to pay for necessary repairs and capital improvements to our parks and recreational facilities. Expenditures will be subject to annual review and approval by the City Council.


The Burlington park system includes 550 acres of land and 32 properties that provide the residents with numerous free and low cost recreational opportunities. Most of the existing facilities are old and heavily used, requiring considerable annual repair and restoration. There is presently no source of dedicated funding for major repairs, renovations, expansion or improvements to our park facilities. Like the situation with our streets, there has been inadequate investment in this infrastructure over the last decade. The resulting deterioration is clearly evident. The bike path needs repairs, athletic fields and courts need ongoing repairs and renovation to withstand the demands of thousands of users, parking lots and roads need resurfacing, and capital upgrades are needed throughout the park system.


We recognize that there are other compelling needs in the City and we recommend Penny for Parks with the greatest respect for our community’s limited financial resources and resident’s justified concern with higher taxes. A Penny for Parks is a sound economic investment. With its facilities and programs, Parks & Rec generates nearly $3,000,000 in revenues for the City. Our parks, waterfront, bike path and other recreational facilities also generate significant revenue for private sector business as part of our tourist economy. The revenues generated by these assets effectively provide a subsidy to Burlington residents, helping to keep costs low for the facilities and programs that we rely on. But the assets upon which these revenues are based need adequate investment to sustain the income stream ... and that’s not happening.


The existing system of funding doesn’t work. Despite the universal recognition of the need, there has been a lack of dedicated funding for parks from the general budget. There are many examples in Burlington of how this method of funding has been recognized and successfully utilized to provide for capital support for various targeted uses. Recognizing that there are areas of special need, Burlington voters have dedicated specific funds for housing, the library, open space, police / fire, and for streets. And of course, this method of funding is being recommended, again, for street repairs. The capital needs of parks are similar to streets, and an allocation of tax dollars in the same targeted manner makes sense.


Penny for Parks is unanimously supported by the Burlington Parks & Recreation Commission, by every City Councilor, and by Burlington residents who recognize the value of our park resources and the need to provide a secure and stable method of funding to protect them. Please join us by voting YES on Ballot Item #3, on November 4.

Stephen Allen

Burlington Parks & Recreation Commission.