AgdaPkt 2008-03-24 Clsd and Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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R.' 'E!"",':PO, "R"", T . _"..' . M. : : ~ > '. . i . . '. . 7A Page 1 To the, Honorable Mayor and, City Council "Fr~mth~ Gi. ! M.""~' ~r: March 24. 2008 SUBJECT San Mateo County Parks for the Future - June, 2008 Ballot Measure RECOMMENDATION Adopt a resolution to endorse the Parks for the Future one-e~ghth cent sa~es tax measure (Measure) which would support parks and recreation activities in San Mateo County for a period of 25 years. BACKGROUND On February 20. 2008, the Parks. Recreation and Community Services Commission unanimously approved a motion endorsing the Parks for the Future measure. recommended that the City Council endorse the Measure that the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors have placed on the June 3, 2008 ballot. and encourage residents of Redwood City to do the same. The one-eighth cent increase in sales tax wou~d generate approximately $16 million countywide and cost the average person $18 per year. Two-thirds approval by those voting in the erection throughout the County is required for the measure to pass. Based on the distribution formula, Redwood City could expect to receive about $805,000 per year. A summary and frequently asked questions fact sheet on the measure is included as Attachment 1 of this report. The Commission is asking for CounciJ support because they are acutely aware of the positive impact the parks, facilities, programs and services offered by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PR&CS) have on the quality of life of Redwood City residents and the Council's need to balance ongoing expenses with ongoing revenues. They see the dollars generated by this measure as a way to support many of the initiatives described in the PR&CS Strategic Plan. Specifically, with the recent adoption of the City Park Standard. these funds could help support the maintenance and/or land acquismon of parks created as residenUa~ development occurs or new recreation or community services programs. In asking for Council support, the Commission realizes that this citizen driven effort was unsuccessful in reaching the required 2/3 of votes on the very crowded November 2006 ballot and questioned Julia Bott. Executive Director of the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation on this issue at their February meeting. She reported being much more posiUve about the measure's chances in June 2008. Her optimism is based on recent polling, which indicates that support numbers are still strong, and the fact that more money has been colfected to date than what was coHected over the whote campaign in 2006. However, Ms. Bott indicated that the success of the measure is urtimatery dependent on the personar commitment of vorunteers up and down the County to get the word out about the local benefits of the measure. Commission and Council endorsements are a first step in that local process.