Willow Glen Resident

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Parks commission suggests bond measure to maintain local parks

By Eli Segall

Park maintenance projects stuck in the pipeline could start flowing again if San Jose voters approve a city funding wish list, parks officials say.

The San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission on April 4 discussed several options to pump more money into city park coffers, including introducing a bond measure or changing the fee structure of the construction and conveyance tax. The C&C tax is collected from home sales and home additions in San Jose.

Currently, 15 percent of C & C funds held by the San Jose Parks Department goes toward maintenance; the commission suggested raising this amount to 20 percent. Such an increase would bring San Jose roughly $800,000 more per year in maintenance funding, said Todd Capurso, deputy director of the parks department. His calculation was based on the 2006-2007 budget.

Voter approval is required for either option, and park commissioners are aiming to put one of the measures on the 2008 presidential election ballot. A joint task force of San Jose planning and parks commissioners will meet April 12 to further discuss the matter.

Neighborhood park conditions have decayed due to the city's poor financial situation, parks officials say. The city has had a recent string of annual budget deficits and faces continued shortfalls through 2012. As a result, park maintenance funding is down 60 percent from 2002 on a per-acre basis, parks planning manager Dave Mitchell told the commission. Since 1998, San Jose has acquired 110 acres of parkland but has lost 23 maintenance workers in that same time period, according to Art Rosales, South San Jose parks manager.

"People only need to look outside their front door to see that parks are not maintained well," commission chairwoman Helen Chapman said.

Planning Commissioner Jim Zito, who sits on the joint task force, said voter-approved funds are needed to better maintain local parks.