• Over the last twenty plus years there has been a consistent decline in financial support for our parks

-      The operating budget for the parks in 1986 was 45.14 million dollars.  The 2008 operating budget for the Parks Department is 43.5 million.  This loss of 1.6 million over twenty-two years may not seem significant, but when factored for inflation over this same period the reduction in support is absolutely staggering.  What cost $45 million in 1986 would cost nearly $86 million today.  In essence our parks are operated today with a little more than half of the resources they had in 1986.

-     In 1986, park expenditures comprised 29% (or $31.1million) of the overall County property tax levy.  In 2008, less than 8% (or $24.7 million) of the overall levy was devoted to the parks.

-      In 1986 there were 760 full-time employees.  Today there are fewer than 280.

-  During a twenty-four year period, from 1983 to 2007, Milwaukee County's tax levy grew by 112%, outpacing inflation.  While the county's tax levy grew during this time span the Parks Department's tax levy was cut 18% from the 1983 level.  When factored for inflation, funding for parks in 2007 was only about 35% of what it was in 1983.

• Budget cuts have translated into significant reductions in constituent services and maintenance of recreational facilities.

-      Outdoor recreational programming in our parks has all but been eliminated.

-      Our athletic fields are suffering from a lack of routine maintenance.  Local sports enthusiasts have already taken note that their “fields of dreams” have turned into nightmares over the last number of years due to staff reductions.

-      Winter recreational opportunities have dwindled. Ice skating rinks have been reduced from more than 60 to a bare handful.

-      Summer picnics have suffered because of a gross lack of maintenance to the parks’ fleet of picnic tables, which number in the thousands. These tables were constructed and maintained by full-time staffers during the winter months. While some new steel-leg replacements were built a few years back, the bulk of this fleet is the older wooden-leg models that were built as long as 25 years ago and are in dire need of repair or replacement.

-      Most park buildings are locked throughout most of the year. From early fall through early spring restrooms are closed to park patrons due to staff shortages.

-      Many park buildings are in dire need of updating to provide for handicap access.

-      Miles of our nationally renowned Oak Leaf Trail are in desperate need of renovation to provide a safe surface for walkers and bike enthusiasts.

-      High quality natural areas in parks are being overrun by invasive plant species that squeeze out native species.

-      Parkways roads are deteriorating at an accelerated rate and causing many people to take alternate routes to avoid causing harm to their vehicles.

• It is no secret that parks and open space create a high quality life that attracts tax-paying businesses and residents to communities.  Communities that value these vital entities also retain residents.

-      Owners of small companies ranked recreation/parks/open space as the highest priority in choosing a new location for their business. [1]

-      Corporate CEOs say quality of life for employees is the third-most important factor in locating a business, behind only access to domestic markets and availability of skilled labor. [2]

-      In November 1998, voters nationwide faced 240 state and local ballot measures concerning land conservation, parks, and smarter growth—and approved 72 percent of them. Many of these were funding measures that will trigger, directly or indirectly, more than $7.5 billion in state and local funding for land acquisition, easement purchase, park improvements, and protection of historic resources. Such successes show that voters are coming to understand that conservation and open space are investments, not costs. Recent ballot measures seeking funds for conservation and open space have received the highest rates of approval among ballot measures seeking approval for new capital expenditures. [3]