Frequently Asked Questions
What is an MPD?
MPD stands for Metropolitan Parks District. It is not a place but it does include territory with boundaries and a governing body. An MPD is best described as a mechanism that allows taxes to be collected by a city for its parks. I’ve never heard of an MPD. Is this a new thing? Since 1907, Washington state law authorized cities to create Metropolitan Parks Districts to manage, control, improve, and acquire parks, parkways, boulevards, and recreational facilities when existing city funding does not adequately provide for these needs. There are currently 17 MPDs in cities all across Washington. The list of MPDs includes Bellingham, Bainbridge Island, Shelton, North Bend, Pullman, Seattle, Tacoma, Pullman, and Yakima. Each MPD is tailored to the needs of each city and can cover something as small as a six-lane municipal swimming pool or as large as an entire Seattle-sized city. |
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How much tax do I have to pay for the MPD?
The ceiling is 75 cents per $1000 of assessed property value. The City estimates that $3 million per year from MPD funds –- which translates to a rate of 54 cents per $1000 of assessed value — will achieve our community’s current and long-term vision for parks. For the owner of a $200,000 home, the 54-cent rate means paying close to $9/month for the MPD. That’s just 30 cents a day.
Just 30 cents a day for parks?
You’re right. It’s not much, but it adds up to $3 million a year in revenue for Olympia’s present and future parks.
So “Metropolitan Parks District” is just a fancy way to say “property tax,” right?
No. The MPD is more complicated than this. The MPD establishes the territory (a geographical District) in which the parks or future parks
exist and where the property owners are taxed. For the Olympia MPD, the territory of the District includes everything within the city limits.
In the future, it will also include lands within the city’s Urban Growth Area once they have been annexed. The members of the City Council double as the MPD Board (the governing body) which will operate with the oversight of a citizen advisory committee to ensure that the spending of funds is consistent with their intended purpose.
Doesn’t the City of Olympia rely too much on property tax to fund things?
No. In terms of overall rate per $1000, Olympia ranks #113 in Washington.
When does the MPD tax hit my wallet?
After the MPD is approved by voters in the November general election, the tax won’t appear on your property tax bill until April 2017. The MPD revenue can be used in 2017.
What do I get for my money?
You get well-maintained parks and new parks for the future. You get safer, better, cleaner parks. You get green space, open space, wetlands and wildlife habitat. You get athletic fields, a dog park, hiking trails, and maybe a splash pad like the one in Heritage Park downtown. You get a great park system and an even better city.
Why do we need more money for parks maintenance?
As we emerge from the great recession that began in 2008, it is clear we have fallen behind in basic upkeep of our parks. Right now, the Parks Department is $4 million behind in maintenance. The Olympia Parks staff is working as hard as they can on limited resources, but if left unfunded, the Parks’ maintenance backlog will result in park deterioration and possible park closures.
Shouldn’t we take care of the parks we already have through the MPD and not buy more?
As Olympia grows — 40% in the next 30 years — there will be more people crowding into existing parks and less land available for parkland as urban sprawl eats up our open space. We will all need more green places to relax and enjoy nature, more recreational spaces to play sports, walk, bike, run, gather and enjoy our City and each other.
In addition Olympia contains some of the most important habitat in Thurston County. Acquiring additional parklands for open space and habitat will preserve these areas so that we maintain the right balance with urban growth.
Don’t I already pay a tax for city parks?
Yes, but not enough. In 2004, voters in Olympia passed a 2% percent tax on utilities (natural gas, electricity, phone) for parks, which should have generated $2.25 million a year for parks, primarily for acquisition of new parkland, but also for maintenance and operation costs of the newly acquired lands. Over the years, this revenue source has decreased due to conservation efforts, the mild winters we have experienced, and reduced use of phone landlines.
The original target in voters’ minds in 2004 was to acquire 500 acres of parklands. When the recession hit, funds were shifted to keep basic City operational needs met. As a result, only 63 acres were purchased. The modest tax enacted in 2004 was not meant to meet basic maintenance needs of the entire park system — and thus is not the right scale to be able to accomplish that. Without a stable, consistent source of funding to meet the basic park maintenance and development needs for the entire system, our parks will continue to be underfunded.
How does the MPD measure ensure that funds will be spent as the voters intended? A citizen advisory committee will serve the public to ensure that funds are spent as voters intended. The committee is directed in the Ordinance to: “provide an annual report to the City and District regarding the City’s compliance with the funding levels.”
What about holding the City accountable for diverting funds from the 2004 voted utility tax towards other purposes?
The MPD ordinance, drafted by a broad coalition of citizen park advocates, is about accountability and transparency. Specifically, it fully restores the use of both the 2% utility tax voted in 2004 and the ½% non-voted utility Tax adopted in 1997 to their intended purpose, and it locks in annual general fund spending for parks at 11%. Furthermore, it provides accountability, by impanelling a Citizens Advisory Board whose sole job is to ascertain that funds are spent as intended by the voters.
Why do we need an MPD now?
We do this now because our need is urgent. If we want to:
Who supports the MPD?
A broad coalition of citizens and citizen groups including the LBA Woods Park Coalition, Friends of the Waterfront, Olympia Coalition for Ecosystem Preservation, and Olympia Capitol Park Foundation. The list of endorsements is growing as many more citizens and organizations learn about this opportunity.
And… a survey of 800 households conducted by Elway Research in February 2015 showed that 71% of survey respondents support a tax increase for park acquisition and development. The #1 reason people wanted to pay more tax for buying more land for parks was to “preserve for future.”
Which new, high priority projects can the MPD implement?
The Olympia Parks Plan will serve to guide the MPD on priority projects to implement. The current plan was written in 2010. The 2016 Olympia parks planning process is almost complete. Public input obtained via public meetings, online, and a survey points to broad community support for conserving LBA Woods, removing the Capitol Center building, investing in preservation of Percival Landing, completion of Woodland and West Bay trails, protection of wildlife habitat, adding more athletic fields and other amenities for youth and adult recreation, and improving our trail system.
Why not join forces with Thurston County to set up a regional MPD?
Establishing an MPD in Olympia in no way precludes the eventual formation of a regional MPD in Thurston County, should Olympia's voters decide that is in our interest. Currently, no concrete steps have been taken to discuss or negotiate a regional MPD. Because such a system requires the consent and involvement of numerous jurisdictions it will likely be some time before Olympians can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of such a system. Our needs with regard to acquisition and maintenance are immediate.
The Growth Management Act requires denser housing for population increases in order to prevent sprawl and thus preserve forests and farmland. How can we preserve more parkland without sprawling out into farm and forest land?
The recently adopted Olympia comprehensive plan calls for fully three-quarters (15,000) of the added population over the next 20 years to be in three dense nodes in downtown, on the east side near Ralph's, and on the west side near the mall. Thus, three quarters of the new population will be housed via redevelopment of already-developed areas. No new land will be required. The other 5,000 new residents can easily be housed via infill development within the current urban growth area. All this new housing density will call for more parks to serve our growing population.
I think I get it, but can you give me the take-away?
We are facing a fragile, deteriorating park system that needs our help. By assuring stable, dedicated funding, we will create a legacy to benefit our community for generations as our population grows and pressures grow for more outdoor recreation opportunities. Vote Yes to create the Olympia Metropolitan Park District.
The ceiling is 75 cents per $1000 of assessed property value. The City estimates that $3 million per year from MPD funds –- which translates to a rate of 54 cents per $1000 of assessed value — will achieve our community’s current and long-term vision for parks. For the owner of a $200,000 home, the 54-cent rate means paying close to $9/month for the MPD. That’s just 30 cents a day.
Just 30 cents a day for parks?
You’re right. It’s not much, but it adds up to $3 million a year in revenue for Olympia’s present and future parks.
So “Metropolitan Parks District” is just a fancy way to say “property tax,” right?
No. The MPD is more complicated than this. The MPD establishes the territory (a geographical District) in which the parks or future parks
exist and where the property owners are taxed. For the Olympia MPD, the territory of the District includes everything within the city limits.
In the future, it will also include lands within the city’s Urban Growth Area once they have been annexed. The members of the City Council double as the MPD Board (the governing body) which will operate with the oversight of a citizen advisory committee to ensure that the spending of funds is consistent with their intended purpose.
Doesn’t the City of Olympia rely too much on property tax to fund things?
No. In terms of overall rate per $1000, Olympia ranks #113 in Washington.
When does the MPD tax hit my wallet?
After the MPD is approved by voters in the November general election, the tax won’t appear on your property tax bill until April 2017. The MPD revenue can be used in 2017.
What do I get for my money?
You get well-maintained parks and new parks for the future. You get safer, better, cleaner parks. You get green space, open space, wetlands and wildlife habitat. You get athletic fields, a dog park, hiking trails, and maybe a splash pad like the one in Heritage Park downtown. You get a great park system and an even better city.
Why do we need more money for parks maintenance?
As we emerge from the great recession that began in 2008, it is clear we have fallen behind in basic upkeep of our parks. Right now, the Parks Department is $4 million behind in maintenance. The Olympia Parks staff is working as hard as they can on limited resources, but if left unfunded, the Parks’ maintenance backlog will result in park deterioration and possible park closures.
Shouldn’t we take care of the parks we already have through the MPD and not buy more?
As Olympia grows — 40% in the next 30 years — there will be more people crowding into existing parks and less land available for parkland as urban sprawl eats up our open space. We will all need more green places to relax and enjoy nature, more recreational spaces to play sports, walk, bike, run, gather and enjoy our City and each other.
In addition Olympia contains some of the most important habitat in Thurston County. Acquiring additional parklands for open space and habitat will preserve these areas so that we maintain the right balance with urban growth.
Don’t I already pay a tax for city parks?
Yes, but not enough. In 2004, voters in Olympia passed a 2% percent tax on utilities (natural gas, electricity, phone) for parks, which should have generated $2.25 million a year for parks, primarily for acquisition of new parkland, but also for maintenance and operation costs of the newly acquired lands. Over the years, this revenue source has decreased due to conservation efforts, the mild winters we have experienced, and reduced use of phone landlines.
The original target in voters’ minds in 2004 was to acquire 500 acres of parklands. When the recession hit, funds were shifted to keep basic City operational needs met. As a result, only 63 acres were purchased. The modest tax enacted in 2004 was not meant to meet basic maintenance needs of the entire park system — and thus is not the right scale to be able to accomplish that. Without a stable, consistent source of funding to meet the basic park maintenance and development needs for the entire system, our parks will continue to be underfunded.
How does the MPD measure ensure that funds will be spent as the voters intended? A citizen advisory committee will serve the public to ensure that funds are spent as voters intended. The committee is directed in the Ordinance to: “provide an annual report to the City and District regarding the City’s compliance with the funding levels.”
What about holding the City accountable for diverting funds from the 2004 voted utility tax towards other purposes?
The MPD ordinance, drafted by a broad coalition of citizen park advocates, is about accountability and transparency. Specifically, it fully restores the use of both the 2% utility tax voted in 2004 and the ½% non-voted utility Tax adopted in 1997 to their intended purpose, and it locks in annual general fund spending for parks at 11%. Furthermore, it provides accountability, by impanelling a Citizens Advisory Board whose sole job is to ascertain that funds are spent as intended by the voters.
Why do we need an MPD now?
We do this now because our need is urgent. If we want to:
- Ensure our City’s entire park system will function smoothly and thrive,
- Create a legacy for our children, and their children by acquiring land to meet their needs for open space and trails, athletic fields, and other recreational opportunities,
- Forge a City that is a model of balance between built and green—a place where people want to live, and businesses want to locate,
- Maintain our urban wildlife, and honor our location on the Deschutes River and the southern tip of Puget Sound…
Who supports the MPD?
A broad coalition of citizens and citizen groups including the LBA Woods Park Coalition, Friends of the Waterfront, Olympia Coalition for Ecosystem Preservation, and Olympia Capitol Park Foundation. The list of endorsements is growing as many more citizens and organizations learn about this opportunity.
And… a survey of 800 households conducted by Elway Research in February 2015 showed that 71% of survey respondents support a tax increase for park acquisition and development. The #1 reason people wanted to pay more tax for buying more land for parks was to “preserve for future.”
Which new, high priority projects can the MPD implement?
The Olympia Parks Plan will serve to guide the MPD on priority projects to implement. The current plan was written in 2010. The 2016 Olympia parks planning process is almost complete. Public input obtained via public meetings, online, and a survey points to broad community support for conserving LBA Woods, removing the Capitol Center building, investing in preservation of Percival Landing, completion of Woodland and West Bay trails, protection of wildlife habitat, adding more athletic fields and other amenities for youth and adult recreation, and improving our trail system.
Why not join forces with Thurston County to set up a regional MPD?
Establishing an MPD in Olympia in no way precludes the eventual formation of a regional MPD in Thurston County, should Olympia's voters decide that is in our interest. Currently, no concrete steps have been taken to discuss or negotiate a regional MPD. Because such a system requires the consent and involvement of numerous jurisdictions it will likely be some time before Olympians can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of such a system. Our needs with regard to acquisition and maintenance are immediate.
The Growth Management Act requires denser housing for population increases in order to prevent sprawl and thus preserve forests and farmland. How can we preserve more parkland without sprawling out into farm and forest land?
The recently adopted Olympia comprehensive plan calls for fully three-quarters (15,000) of the added population over the next 20 years to be in three dense nodes in downtown, on the east side near Ralph's, and on the west side near the mall. Thus, three quarters of the new population will be housed via redevelopment of already-developed areas. No new land will be required. The other 5,000 new residents can easily be housed via infill development within the current urban growth area. All this new housing density will call for more parks to serve our growing population.
I think I get it, but can you give me the take-away?
We are facing a fragile, deteriorating park system that needs our help. By assuring stable, dedicated funding, we will create a legacy to benefit our community for generations as our population grows and pressures grow for more outdoor recreation opportunities. Vote Yes to create the Olympia Metropolitan Park District.
