Local Referendum - Park Fund

A ballot referendum is a law, issue, or topic placed on a ballot for voters to decide through an election.

What is the Local Referendum on my ballot?

This year, voters will be asked to vote FOR or AGAINST the creation of a dedicated public “Park Fund”. The money generated would provide funds to improve and develop neighborhood parks, walking and hiking trails, nature parks, bike trails, swimming pools, playgrounds, dog parks, and recreational facilities for children, adults, families, and seniors.

If approved, this parks referendum would create a new property tax of 2.25 cents per $100 of taxable property, beginning January 1, 2025. This would result in an additional $67.50 in property taxes for a home valued at $300,000.

A vote FOR would create a Park Fund, and a vote AGAINST would not create a Park Fund.

See what this will look like on your ballot here.

Context:

Currently, the city funds park capital maintenance through the city budget’s General Fund. The General Fund doesn’t provide enough money to complete all the park capital maintenance projects that are needed throughout the city every year, which has resulted in a long backlog of projects. The Park Fund is being proposed by the group Vote Yes for Parks.

The fund would initially go towards funding projects outlined and prioritized in the 2018 Parks Master Plan, which identified approximately $100 million worth of projects in Lexington’s parks.

The City would continue to fund operating expenses such as staff salaries and programming through the City’s Budget using the General Fund.