OUR PARKS FUNDING
Milwaukie parks are the jewel of the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District. From Milwaukie Bay to Elk Rock Island to Ball-Michel Park, we provide well-visited and highly-valued open spaces for the whole County to enjoy.
City Council and staff have worked hard to ensure equal and increased access to public open space and recreation opportunities for all. We're currently evaluating how we can serve our Milwaukie communities even better, especially considering we don't control our own parks and recreation funding. We don't even have a Parks and Recreation Department!
How Are Milwaukie Parks Currently Funded?
The City of Milwaukie does not currently have any sources of dedicated parks funding...
Milwaukie has been a part of the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District (NCPRD) since 1990. Milwaukie property owners are assessed a tax that funds all parks and recreation activities in the District. While Milwaukie elected officials sit on the County Parks and Recreation Board (which also includes representatives from all jurisdictions under the NCPRD umbrella) they do not make decisions that affect where funding is directed or how money is spent.
Every decision regarding NCPRD is made by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, including which parks receive priority funding, how recreation dollars are spent, and how timelines are set for project progression such as with Milwaukie Bay Park.
How has the City dealt with our funding needs without a dedicated source?
Milwaukie has prioritized finding creative ways to provide the best
parks & recreation experience...
Just because we don't control our own funding hasn't stopped City Council and staff from doing all we can to make sure our community has access to as much green space and as many recreation opportunities as possible!
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Without funding from the County, we've
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Directed funds specifically to land acquisition, park design, and construction
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Made sure that we continue to own the parklands inside Milwaukie, unlike other areas that make up the NCPRD that are owned and controlled by the County
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Gone outside of our current funding sources to win Regional, State, and federal grants to maximize our city’s investment.
By using these creative methods, and prioritizing parks & recreation experiences for our Milwaukie Community, we have been able to fund, on our own, projects like Balfour Park, Bowman Brae Park, Scott Park, Homewood Park, Ball-Michel Park, the first phase of Spring Park, the first two phases of Milwaukie Bay Park, and the multi-use path in Kronberg Park.