Great Parks Make Great Communities—Vote YES on the King County Parks Levy
Great Parks Make Great Communities—Vote YES on King County Prop 1
Do you enjoy walking or biking on a new segment of the Lake to Sound Trail that will connect Lake Washington in Renton to the shores of Puget Sound in Des Moines? Might you enjoy a concert at Marymoor Park and travel the East Lake Sammamish Trail to get there? Perhaps you hike at Cougar Mountain, the largest wild park in an urban area in the country. Or ride horses at Taylor Mountain. Or visit the heritage site at Jim Ellis Memorial Preston Mill Park. If you do, you are enjoying places cared for by King County Parks and Recreation. In August, voters will decide the future of more than 200 parks and nearly 400 miles of trails across King County. Your YES vote on King County Proposition 1 (King County Parks Levy) will renew funding for parks, playfields, swimming pools, and places for hands-on learning.
What’s at Stake
At a time when agencies that care for public lands are facing massive budget cuts, renewal of this levy will keep local parks clean and open, expand access to parks and regional trails, fund critical maintenance, and support safe, equitable recreation in communities across the county.
Since 2008, King County parks have relied on the parks levy to fund operations and maintenance. It has been continuously renewed by voters in the two decades since—an indication that the people of King County believe access to outdoor recreation is paramount to the health of its communities. The King County Parks Levy funds 85 percent of the maintenance and operations of parks across the county. That means trailheads, bathrooms, playgrounds, pools, trails, repairs, and safe access to parks in all communities.
What the Parks Levy Funds
The parks levy funds will fill important gaps in the regional trail system, including on the Eastrail, Interurban Trail, Lake to Sound Trail, Green River Trail, and continue to make progress on the east-west route through the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. This funding would help King County move toward a future where communities are connected by safe, non-motorized transportation options that prioritize walking and biking.
Families in both cities and rural areas would benefit, as parks levy funds will build playgrounds and parks, especially for those who need them most.. New parks will be built in areas that currently lack them, including a 20-acre nature park at Lakeland North Urban Park between Auburn and Federal Way, an unincorporated community with limited public greenspace.
The parks levy will fund programs that provide jobs to people experiencing homelessness with family-wage employment and connections to housing services, as well as the King County Youth Conservation Corps, a popular paid summer internship program for teenagers interested in careers in parks and environmental fields.
How to Vote for the King County Parks Levy
This important levy has been renewed by voters every six years beginning in 2007. Continue a legacy that invests in parks and trails for future generations to enjoy by following these steps.
- Make sure you are registered to vote by checking here.
- Vote YES by August 5th, 2025. Ballots will be mailed to King County registered voters on July 16.
- Talk to your friends and neighbors and ask them to vote YES.
- Join the campaign by learning more at Yes for our Parks! – Yes on County Proposition 1.
