WEST BOISE, Idaho — Boise Parks and Recreation is asking voters to approve a new $11 million levy in November to fund acquiring new open space, clean water initiatives, improvement projects and wildfire restoration.
The past purchasing open spaces across Boise and funding improvement projects like the Settlers Canal Path in West Boise were made possible by a levy approved in 2015, but that money is nearly used up.
“I’ve lived in a couple of cities and this has kind of been my favorite when it’s come to Parks,” said Keenan Mueller, who lives near the newly opened Settlers Canal Path.
WATCH: Hear from neighbors and Boise Parks and Rec about the proposed levy
“We’re always excited when there’s new paths around just to keep things fresh and take our dog to new places,” Mueller said.
He said he uses Boise’s parks often and would support a levy to see more of them in his neighborhood.
“I would love to see more stuff like this, we like all the natural wildflowers that are around, and we love seeing nature and the accessibility of it,” he said.
The $11 million levy would help fund the purchase of land for new parks, improvement projects, clean water initiatives and wildfire restoration and mitigation.
“So we’ve had two previous levies, we had one in 2001 and one in 2015. Each of those were for $10 million,” said Doug Holloway, Director of Boise Parks and Recreation.
Holloway said the city has stretched the funds from the last two levies for more than a decade. The 2015 levy fund is now down to about $1 million, and Parks and Recreation is preparing for the future.
“You know, the quality of life from a park and recreation perspective in the city of Boise is amazing and we want to continue to create those amazing experiences for our residents, so having funding available for that is important,” Holloway said.
The cost of the levy would be $9.89 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value per year, collected over two years. For the average homeowner, that would be about $40 a year.
The measure will need a simple majority — 50% plus one vote — to pass.
